Shin Megami Tensei - P0: Persona Zero (Updated)
by TheChaosEntity
Summary: An original story done in the style of the games, similar to Persona 4: The Animation, or Persona 3: The Movie, but with an original plot and cast.
1. 000: Welcome to the Velvet Room

DISCALAIMER: Persona belongs to Atlus and Square Enix, I make no claim to the ownership of the name nor themes therein.

* * *

Date: Monday 2nd June

Weather: Snowy

Moon: Full

* * *

_It's snowing… Snow in June?_

A peculiar thought. A truly surreal one. One that would be utterly out of place in any other person's mind, but one that nonetheless is at home in this scattered psyche of mine. It is also the last thing I remember before…did I fall asleep? I couldn't be capable of higher cognitive thought if I was unconscious. However I am obviously not entirely awake either. My mind can't seem to focus on anything at all. My thoughts seem even more scattered than usual. It feels like my brain has been dipped into water and, although soothing, the water is lifting my thoughts and swirling them around. Am I awake, or am I asleep? I find that it feels like how I imagine someone who is on heavy drugs must feel at the peak of their effectiveness. I must say… It doesn't feel unpleasant. Far from it, in fact. I could get used to it, given enough time. The state of my consciousness once again rears its head, and I begin to question it again, just as a blue void begins to expand into view. Regardless of whether I am awake or asleep, I now find myself in a room, though… Is it a room? Although the walls and floor remain impervious to even the slightest hint of vibrations, through the windows on either side of the room, the surroundings appear to be moving. Though all that can be seen out of the window is snow. Wait…

_Snow in June_…?

Turning my attention back to the immediate vicinity, the entire place is draped in blue velvet. In fact, absolutely everything is some shade of blue; the only exceptions are the flames on the candelabra illuminating the 'room'. After the vibrancy of the colour, the next most obvious thing about the room is the furnishings. Before me is a circular table, with a deck of tarot cards sitting in the centre of it. My mind somehow seems to focus on that deck, for some reason. For the first time since…awakening? …in this place, I become aware of my body, or rather, I seem to remember its existence. I feel the urge to reach out towards that deck, but decide against it, upon finally realising the most obvious thing about this room – I'm not alone here.

To my right is perhaps the most beautiful young woman I have ever seen. I say woman, but she can't be any older than myself. Her skin is pale, it looks as delicate as porcelain, as if it would fracture if I were to even lightly touch her. Her hair is a dirty silver, similar to the colour of city snow, and reaches just down to her fragile-looking, bare shoulders. She wears an ultramarine, sleeveless polo-neck reaching down to just below her chest, whereby a tight corset continues down to her waist. Underneath the corset and short frock, she wears a slim dress appearing to reach from her neck down to her lower thigh. Knee-high boots and elbow-length gloves complete her attire, along with what appears to be a chauffer's cap perched on her head. Resting on her knees is a leather-bound book. It's rather thick and seems to captivate my attention almost as much as she does. Her face is as delicate as the rest of her appearance. She looks like a designer doll. I suddenly take note of the fact that she's looking at me intensely. She probably has been for some time. I don't maintain eye-contact for long, but saw that her eyes were a brilliant gold and filled with a complex mix of emotions. I try not to stare, but for some reason I find myself taking note of her every feature. Every stray hair, every crease… I don't really believe in love at first sight. Love is a by-product of the desire to pro-create that sometimes happens to become an emotional desire all of its own. And before you ask, no. I wasn't always this cynical. It's an acquired taste that I really don't wish to recall the circumstances of.

To my left is a tall elegant man dressed in an extravagantly-smart tuxedo. His hair is short, and yet rather messy. His eyes are covered by a blue velvet blindfold, which is curious considering that he is playing the most expensive-looking piano I have ever laid eyes upon. The room doesn't seem that large at all. And yet, a grand piano can fit in here rather comfortably. How curious. The music he is playing is even more beautiful than the instrument creating it. For that matter, so is the operatic singing I can here coming from somewhere behind me. I then notice what is perhaps the most striking thing in the room. One I'm not sure exactly how I could have missed. Namely, the balding elderly gentleman sitting opposite me, fingers clasped before him. He too, is dressed in a suit, but that's not what striking about his appearance, rather, what is striking is his bulbous blood-shot eyes and his abnormally long, bird-like nose. It is at this point that I am jerked out of my thoughts at last by the peculiar-looking gentleman speaking to me.

"Welcome to the Velvet Room, my dear." His voice is smooth and calm, yet eerie and full of mystique. I can't help but feel relaxed by that voice; accompanied by the soothing atmosphere and beautiful music, I find I feel truly at ease here.

"This is the space between consciousness and unconsciousness – mind and matter, it is a room that only those who are bound by a contract may enter. I must admit, I am pleased to welcome you back, after all you have already signed our contract several years ago." Contract? What sort? I don't recall signing any contracts! I observe the gentleman's face. He's peering at me over his hands. The girl is still staring at me. I… Have I been here before? I… I can't really think straight…or maybe it's that for the first time I am thinking straight.

"My, and what an intriguing destiny you have. We have not had a guest like you in quite some time, not since the time of fog, I believe. Now then, in case you have forgotten, I am Igor, a servant of Philemon, and presider over this Velvet Room. I understand you've been going through some emotional trouble lately, so, to confirm you know yourself as well as we do, what is your name?" That last question is the most straightforward thing this guy has said. Actually scratch that, 'know yourself as well as we do'? What kind of crap is that?

"David Beale" I answer after a while.

"I see." He says with a slight smile. "Don't worry. Right now you are fast asleep in the real world…" …So this guy is trying to have me believe I'm asleep. Having said that I'm the one who is confused about his own state of consciousness right now. Perhaps… Perhaps I am asleep. Regardless of my being lost in thought, Igor continues. "Well then, do you believe in fortune telling?" I take a minute to register what he means. I do believe in fortune telling, in fact I conduct readings myself on a semi-regular basis. I reply by nodding my head in confirmation. Igor then waves his hand over the deck of cards, spreading five out into a pentagram, with a sixth in the centre.

"Very good. I find that fortune telling shares its key principles with life itself." He says in a philosophical tone. Granted, I can kind of see that analogy. However it occurs to me that this whole thing should be filling me with panic and paranoia. According to him, I'm asleep, but I could just as easily have been drugged and brought here. I don't know why, but I dismiss that thought immediately. Being here is kind of like… It's kind of like someone is thinking for me. A dart of movement snaps my attention back to the reading. "Let's see now…the card representing you is…'The Fool', in the upright position. It seems that a great journey is ahead of you. The job of this room, and those who dwell within, is to aid you on that journey however we can. Your immediate future is represented by…Ah, 'Death' also in the upright position. It seems you will not be the same at the end of your journey as you are now, and that a great change is about to befall you." This is rather peculiar already. In my own readings, 'The Fool' generally crops up in relation to me. But what is even more interesting is that I know for a fact that a rather large change is ahead of me. I'm not overly believing in coincidences, but I decide to see the rest of the reading before making a decision. "Beyond that is…'The Wheel of Fortune', also upright. It appears that the changes foretold by 'Death' may indeed be beneficial, although they may not seem that way at first." He laughs. "Let's see, the future after that is…'The Strength' upright as well. This indicates that the changes you will undergo will allow you to 'tame the beast within', my…how fortunate. Following that is…'The Justice' in the reverse position. It seems the law itself may become your enemy. Finally, it seems the last card is…'The Tower' in the upright position, indicating a terrible catastrophe. I cannot foresee anything beyond that… It seems that your journey may take any number of paths, or even end prematurely, based on your own actions."

So… I… I'm speechless. 'The Tower' ? It's position in the reading seems to indicate something akin to a 'bad end' in a video game. Is that what my life is heading to? Igor then seems to realise something, speaking up again.

"Ah… It seems I have neglected to introduce my companions to you. This is Nameless." He waves his hand in the direction of the blindfolded pianist.

"Greetings. I am Nameless. I am the one who will open the locked doors of your heart." His voice is smooth and suave, kind of like James Bond, if James Bond were an ethereal pianist.

"And I am Belladonna~ Praise be to you, our visiting guest~ You who shalt challenge the beast within~ That beast we call 'self'~" I turn around in my seat to see that behind the sofa I am sitting on, there is an elegant woman standing on a balcony, wearing a long, sleek dress, with grey-ish hair sticking out from her gorgeously made-up face. I hasten to add, she is also getting covered in snow. I begin to realise that I'm in what appears to be a horse-drawn carriage. Now it makes sense. The singing I can hear is coming from this woman. She appears to be standing outside of the protection of the roof, due to most of the room being taken up by the piano, Igor's table, and the sofa I'm sitting on. Poor woman, it looks awfully cold out there.

"… And this is Alice" Igor concludes by gesturing to the beautiful girl to my right.

"Salutations. I am Alice, keeper of the book of the heart. Whenever new bonds are formed, it is my duty to record them here." Her voice is as soft as her appearance. Looking at her for too long seems to have an odd effect on me. Like she's trying steal my soul through my gaze. She gives me a delicate smile, one I try to return…though I'm not sure if I succeed.

"For you to continue on your journey, you will be in need of our aid." Igor says with a knowing look. "But do not fear. We will summon you here when next your destiny demands it." Igor then knocks on the ceiling, signalling to the driver, before turning to me again. "It seems our time is up. We shall meet again, when your destiny requires it, until then, farewell."

My vision fades to black. I'm losing all sense of my surroundings. I'm adrift in my own thoughts. I then feel the pleasantness of the seat beneath me. I realise I have indeed, been asleep. I open my eyes groggily, I'm on a train, just as I should be. It's taking me from Kyoto to Tokyo. I muse on the specifics of my journey as I look out the window, trying to wake up, taking note of the blizzard out of the window.

_It's snowing… Snow in June?_

* * *

**Chapter's End Corner~**

Well, by request, I've reposted/rewritten this. It wasn't actually as bad as I remember, so I think I'll be continuing this, as was the actually request, haha. The original is actually rated M due to language, but there wasn't much of it, and I decided that what there was could be removed easily.

Note on the name: I coined it back at the beginning of the year, when I wrote the original (Which, as is said above, is still here on , under 'M'. It isn't some kind of prequel, rather '0' is used to give it a numerical name without stepping on the toes of an eventual sequel.


	2. 001: Thou art I, I am Thou

DISCALAIMER: Persona belongs to Atlus and Square Enix, I make no claim to the ownership of the name nor themes therein.

* * *

Date: Monday 2nd June

Weather: Snowy

Moon: Waxing Gibbous

* * *

I try to rub the sleep out of my eyes. Unsuccessfully, I might add. I lay my head back and think deeply for a while. What kind of dream was that? Was it even a dream? I find myself unsure. I've always been the sort to overanalyse everything that happens, so I can't dismiss the possibility that it was indeed very real. I cast my gaze out of the frosted window, upon the snow-ravaged train route. White. A pure, inoffensive colour. Almost everything is white now. It reminds me of the hospital. I briefly glance down at my bandaged right hand. It too, is white, not even a sliver of bare skin visible. I try not to think about it, so I return my gaze to the window. The train will be arriving soon. Damn, I don't even want to be on this train. I sigh. My parents managed to get me a scholarship at the illustrious Tanjou Academy in Tokyo, and after the circumstances behind my recent stay in the hospital, it was decided that it would be for the best if I spent a while away. I don't really have any strong feelings either way, but I hate new beginnings.

'At least there is free Wi-Fi on this train' I think as I flip open the screen on my COMP. I remember saying that 'these things will never catch on' when they were released last year. But, like smartphones, these small, arm-mounted computers became wildly popular, and it's not hard to see why, with the degree of customization available. I just surf the net for a while, mindlessly flicking from one trope to another. I hear that the train is reaching my stop imminently. Huh. They're right, that site really is like a year outside, an hour inside. I stand up to retrieve my bag, only for me to realize that the zip was partially undone, and my tarot cards spill out onto the floor. I sigh. Great, now I could be late. I bend down to pick them up, only to be hit by the realization that only six of them are face-up. Upright Fool, Upright Death, Upright Wheel of Fortune, Upright Strength, Reverse Justice and Upright Tower – exactly the same fortune I had in my dream – and I'm not exactly faithful in convenient coincidences. I hastily pick up my cards and head for the doors. Miraculously, I make it. And so, here I am. Tokyo. I look around. Someone was supposed to come pick me up. Apparently it's someone I used to know. I suppose that's entirely possible as although I live in Kyoto now, I did live here once, a long time ago. I exhale, seeing my breath fog out in front of me. I'm getting covered in snow. I bitterly wonder if someone somewhere, 25 or 16 years ago wished for a blizzard in June as a practical joke. As I'm stewing in my bitterness, I see a tall man holding a sign and an umbrella. Considering the sign has my name on it, I'm fairly sure that he's waiting for me, and so I head towards the man. I notice he has dark (opaque? ...) glasses and has a cane resting against his leg. I wonder if he's blind. I do vaguely recall knowing two girls whose older brother was blind. I assume that they must be one and the same, seeing as I was told I know the guy, so I call out to him. His head turns in my direction.

"Though the years have changed its pitch, I recognize that voice. Come along then, David" Apparently, I did know him. He certainly seems to know me. I pull a crumpled piece of paper out of my pocket with numb hands. Jotted down is this man's name. Mao…his name is Casey Mao. The name is somewhat familiar but… … Argh. I can't remember. It's probably not important anyway. People give me funny looks as we walk through the white wasteland towards the school. I'm not sure if it's because of my hair being down to my mid-back in length, or because I'm not wearing much in the way of warm clothing. What? I don't really feel the cold that much. Well, and I didn't expect a blizzard to hit.

We reach the school gates and the man named Mao effortlessly enters the correct security code despite being blind. I find myself wondering how long it took him to learn that; he doesn't look more than 5 years older than me. I am then given an exhaustive tour of the school, which I'm sure I'll have forgotten by morning. One thing he mentions is that club activities mean a lot here. And there certainly do seem to be a lot here. I noticed an occult club, a fashion club, several sports clubs, a music club, a drama club… The list goes on. I quickly vow to myself not to join a single one. Mao then apologizes and leaves me outside class 1-2 while he goes to attend to some business. _Don't leave me here!_ I cry internally. He does, however. Bastard. Damn, I must stick out like a sore thumb standing here in nothing approaching the school uniform. I don't get much further along that train of thought, however, because I notice that I have been approached by someone. It's a girl. She has fair skin, short, bob-cut light brown hair, and a fairly pretty face. She is wearing white knee-high socks, and the school uniform for this place – a white shirt with a tie and grey blazer, as well as a skirt with a coloured stripe at the bottom. The colour of the tie and stripe are determinate of the year the student is in. Her tie and skirt-stripe are green, so she's a first-year. I could have figured that out anyway, though, considering she's just left a first-year class room, and is on the first floor. Her uniform also appears slightly personalized as she is wearing a bowtie, as opposed to a proper tie. This is accentuated, by how tightly her shirt and blazer huh her…noticeably large breasts. Ahem. She also happens to be wearing a red armband with 'Leader' written on it. Huh, I guess she is the class rep or something. Attached to her left arm is a COMP just like mine, only silver and magenta, instead of silver and blue.

"Can I…help you with something?" She asks earnestly. I shake my head in response.

"Then…why are you here? Ah-!" She gasps as if suddenly hit by a realizatio-wait. Oh no. Don't say it, please. I have a big enough headache as it is.

"Are you the 'mysterious transfer student'!" She said it. I mentally sigh. How am I going to get out of this one? Ah… Think, David, _think!_

…

… …

I'm drawing a blank. I resign myself to this fate, and nod solemnly. She doesn't seem to pick up on the solemn part however.

"Oh wow! You are huh?" She leans closer, putting our noses an inch apart. She laughs and leans back, flashing me a grin. "You _are_ kind of cute I guess. I'm Sachiko Kuwasaki, nice to meet you."

What's that supposed to mean?

"I hope they put you in my class, I could give you some help~" She winks. "So, what's your name, Shujinko-kun?"

"Shujinko-kun?" I say in surprise.

"Ah! Your voice is kinda cool." She says nodding to herself. Glad to hear it… ? "But yeah! A new transfer student is always either the hero, his rival, the villain in disguise, or some other driving element of the plot!"

… You're not going to kidnap me to be part of the SOS brigade are you? It is at this point I hear a whiny-sounding voice coming from the classroom.

"Sacchan! Come here! You have to see this!" Whoever is calling this weird class rep girl sounds excited about something.

"Ah! Coming!" She calls back, turning to me. "Well, see you later, Shujinko-san!" She then disappears back into the classroom.

…

… …

Oooooooookay. That was… Yeah. The less said the better. Fortunately I am saved from this peculiar train of thought by the timely arrival of Casey Mao.

"Your parents have already dropped your boxes off in your room. Shall we go there now?" What a retarded question. What else could I possibly do in a blizzard? Ugh. I'm still grouchy because I fell asleep on the train. I nod slowly, feeling a wash of drowsiness come over me. I'm knackered.

"Follow me, then." He says. Mao is, apparently, the governor of the school, and remarkably young for the position too. I find it amazing how easily he makes his turns despite being blind. He leads me outside and across the grounds to a pair of buildings next to each other. These dorms are really out of the way. Mao-san stops and hands me the keys.

"Alright. Room 216 is yours. It's the sixth room in the first corridor on the second floor." I take the keys and nod in confirmation. "If you need anything let me know. My number is in the papers I sent your parents."

"Thank You" I say as I leave him and enter the dormitory, shaking the snow off of my coat. I then head up to my room, taking note of the fact that only two other rooms in my corridor are occupied – but the residents must be in class. And even if they weren't I have no desire for more introductions today. I enter my room and sigh. Looking around, I take note that everything is so impersonal. This isn't my room. It isn't anybody's room. It is hollow, and empty. Man, I am so overdramatic. I sit down at the desk and set my COMP on to charge, noticing the mail icon blinking as I do so. Seeing as my COMP is practically out of charge,I turn on the computer, electing to do my unpacking a little later. It appears I do have a new message…sent by myself. I didn't send myself a message… I check the contents.

_Dear Myself._

_It appears that you are at the start of a journey. Remember to keep your eyes open, for new allies are all around you. Enemies too are lurking everywhere, and you must be ready to face them. But fear not, you awoke to the world around you four years ago. You must remember what happened back then – those memories are the key to the door looming before you. You don't need any help forging bonds, or defending yourself. After all, you are perfectly capable of looking after yourself. Unlike the others of this world, you have the eyes to see the __**true appearance**__ of this world. You must help the others to do the same. Remember that your mind is your greatest weapon and it is fuelled by the heart. Don't forget that._

…Is this a joke? What the hell. I can't help but feel more than a little creeped out by it, particularly given that 'dream' earlier. However seeing as I can barely see straight, I sit down in front of my bed and place my hands over my face, trying to muster the strength to bother unpacking. After a while I open one of the boxes and see a school uniform folded up. Green tie, white shirt, black trousers, grey blazer. Great. I sigh and sit back against my bed, arm resting against my forehead.

**Afternoon - Midnight**

I open my eyes slowly. Did I fall asleep? Argh. Again? What is it with me today? I look over at the clock. Midnight? What in the hell? I stumble to my feet and notice the mail icon blinking on my COMP. I stagger over to my computer and find that, once again, I do indeed have a new message. Oh what the hell, who now. I check the mail's sender and it is an address I don't recognize. I honestly can't be arsed to care at this time of night. I decide to go to bed properly. However, as soon as I stand up to leave, I feel as though my head is splitting open. I gasp. It hurts. I scream. It hurts a lot. Through the pain I can hear a voice, clear as the tolling of a bell.

_I am Thou, Thou art I. Take hold of my hand and open thine eyes. Call forth that which lies within, for thou art the one who shall open the gate._

I collapse into the chair, clutching my head with clenched teeth, until I realise the pain is gone, and I'm just sitting there making a weird face for no reason. What the hell? What… What the hell? First a weird dream that isn't a dream, then the tarot cards matching the dream, then the email from myself, and now a voice speaking through a headache, speaking a complementing message to said email. What is going on? Am I going mad? I notice my cheeks are wet. My eyes have been watering. I don't think I can cope with this crap for much longer. I then decide, considering I've received an email from myself and heard a voice claiming to BE myself, that I should read that new email. But my hand won't move. I'm scared. I don't want to know what it says, and yet, I do. Eventually, morbid curiosity wins out, and I click open the message.

Hello!

This is just us over on the other side letting you know that the world will end one year from today! We thought it might be nice to give you some warning to, y'know, get the word out that your time's run out. Also of note is that only students at select schools across japan are receiving these emails. Why? Kicks, basically. We want to see if you can get anybody to believe you! Hell, we want to see if YOU will believe it, let alone your parents, hahahahaha. Be sure to visit our site by clicking the link, if you want more info. It's only available from 12:00am to 12:30am though, so a limited window there. But hey! At least it's there. If you're interested, we'll also tell you how and when any given person will die if you reply to this message with the name of the person you want to see dead. We'll be keeping you posted with any updates so stay glued to your screens, hahahahahaha

Under normal circumstances, I wouldn't believe this in a million years. I'd say 'spam', and trash it. But this time… I click on the link. What I see is a dark and stereotypically 'foreboding' website. It gives several different versions of the end of the world, from Armageddon to Ragnarok. Several elements of it say 'under-construction'. It occurs to me that this, at least, stinks of a bad prank. I switch it off and sigh. I do a tarot reading to put my mind at ease. I don't know why, tarot readings never work when you do them for yourself, but I do so anyway. I get the same one I did in that dream: Upright Fool, Upright Death, Upright Wheel-of-Fortune, Upright Strength, Reverse Justice, Upright Tower. I sigh. To be expected. A self-done reading always reflects your worries, not the future. I wonder if, this time, they might actually be the same. I sit back and stare at the ceiling for a while. I need to sleep, I have school tomorrow.

…

… …

I'm panting. I've been running, or been chased. I'm standing in an art studio. Or is it a concert hall? Regardless, I stand, looking up at a hideous malformation glaring down at me with hatred. My body is moving on its own. It's doing things I can't comprehend. My mouth is speaking words I don't understand. "Agidyne!" I clench my fist as I feel… something… appear above me and cause a sphere of fire to envelop whatever enemy I am facing. "Vorpal Blade!" Again, I clench my fist, and again, something appears, only this time, it spins and slices the still burning foe with some kind of ethereal pole arm. The being just laughs and raises it's arm, causing a seal to pear beneath me, and penetrate my body with 21 blades made of some kind of solid darkness. I scream. I cry out. I bemoan my failure to names I do not hear. I sink beneath the darkness knowing that my life is over, and with it…

* * *

Date: Tuesday 3rd June

Weather: Cloudy

Moon: Full

* * *

I now find myself standing outside class 1-3 of Tanjou Academy. I'm nervous, I admit. I exhale. _I mustn't run away, I mustn't run away, I mustn't run away_.Steady on, old lad. So far, this day has been much more normal than yesterday, I have that to be thankful for, at least. After that weird dream, everything was fine. This morning was fine. Everything will be fine. However, I then feel myself overcome by a mighty shadow. Turning to fact this powerful enemy, I come face-to-face with…! A scruffy-looking man. He appears to be the teacher.

"Hello?" He asks me, obviously confused as to my being outside his class room. He scratches his chin in thought before reaching the only obvious conclusion. "Are you the transfer student?"

I nod in response. I've dislike talking.

The Teacher regards me for a while, before attempting a smile, and only half-succeeding. "Alright then, my name is Sakuya, and I am the homeroom teacher of Class 1-3. But ah…you'd probably guessed that. You are, ah…"

"Beale. David Beale." I reply, with a vague tone of irritation in my voice. Thankfully, he misses it.

"So you are. Well then, lets introduce you to the class." I give him a handwave with my bandaged hand to signal that it's cool as he opens the door, and I enter the classroom behind him. I scan the class. That Kuwasaki girl was in 1-2 right? Aha. I spot a read armband. It's being worn by a girl who blushes and seemingly attempts to vanish into thin air when she notices me looking. She has black, shoulder length hair, in a hime cut, with the generic Tanjou Academy first year uniform, and black opaque proper tights. From what I saw of her face, she was rather pretty. Of course I didn't see much. And I'm not interested anyway.

…

… …

Damn that sounded fake. I can vaguely hear Sakuya talking about me, but I'm not really listening to him. Thankfully, he doesn't mention my autism, or my right hand. I turn when instructed and write my name on the board before turning to the class, bowing once and heading over to the only remaining seat. Isn't always so fortunate how whenever a school has a transfer student, there is always a conveniently and conspicuously empty seat? Sadly it is not the anime traditional window seat. No, I am dead in the middle. All through class, I feel a terrible urge to run away. A horrible feeling that I'm being watched. And after class ends, it only gets worse. I can feel…something. Something's there! In the corner of my eye! Do I dare look? It could turn me to stone if I look at it. I muster my courage and turn my head slowly to see…

A boy with sandy hair staring at me intently. He is not wearing the school uniform though, rather he's wearing a royal blue blazer with matching trousers, a white dress shirt and a black bolo-like tie. Is he a recent transfer student too or something? I can almost see the character for 'stare' stretching between us. He is seated right next to me. Damn. I ain't getting outta this one without a conversation. I try to leave before he starts talking.

"Hey there! The name's Eliot Takashi. So, tell me, where you ogling Mao-san?" Damn him. I couldn't get away. But man, this guy's forward. I shake my head in response. What? I'm not lying. I feel like I recognize her…which is possible, as I say, I did live in Tokyo up until the end of elementary school. Wait a minute, 'Mao-san'? Well, I guess she does look like Casey Mao. From what little I can recall, he used to look out for me when I was a kid. I used to know his sisters… One of them was a close friend of mine. I think. But I can't remember which one. And they were twins too. I sigh. He laughs.

"Well, just be sure not to get too full of yourself! Mao-san's holding out for someone special! Plus…she's so shy she might faint if you asked her out." As much as I want to punch his smiling mug, I gotta agree with the man, she kinda does look like the type.

"So what do you think of all this snow huh? Weird for summer ain't it?" Yes. Very. But I don't say so. I merely nod, and cast my gaze out if the window. However his next comment catches me off guard. "So did you get that prank email too?" He asks, sounding concerned. Understandably. Luckily I'm saved from answering by Sakuya.

"Beale. Ah… Your wanted at… um. Just follow me." Poor Sakuya, trying to skirt around mentioning my hospital checks; I feel thankful for his efforts, poor though the results may be. I wave at Takashi with my left hand and stow my bandaged right hand in my coat pocket. I head off towards the nurse's office.

**Morning - After School**

I went to the nurses office and then returned to class. Everything was fine, nothing to worry about. I noticed that the class rep was fidgeting nervously during afternoon classes. That Takashi guy was absent too. Strange. So I now find myself wandering aimlessly through the sheer enormity that is the school. Maybe I'll run into that Kuwasaki girl. I pass a gaggle of first year girls gossiping loudly, and decide to activate my super special awesome eavesdropping powers.

"So you got one of those weird emails too, huh?" "From what I heard, the whole student body received it." "What does it mean? Is it really a prank? Or…" "O-Of course it's just a prank! Jeeze Risa, get a grip…" "And what about that death timer thing? Did anyone try it?" "…I did. I tried a whole bunch of people. Apparently I'm going to die on June 1st 2014! That's next year! The day before the world is going to end." "D-don't be ridiculous!" "Oh! I heard from one of the other girls that Mao-san tried the transfer student's name. He's going to die today, apparently." "WHAT?! Really?! How?" "I dunno. Mauled by an animal I think?"

What? You can't be serious. Come on…this isn't funny anymore. Mao-san? The class rep? My death is a rumour and no one told me? I sigh and decide I don't want to hear anymore. As I'm returning to my dorm room I feel…nothing. Do I even care if I live or die? Hah… What a question. I smile wryly as I turn the key in the lock.

"Oh, hi there." I look up to see a boy about my height with messy black hair and a pair of spectacles perched on his nose. He gives me a jovial smile. Seems he's a second year, judging by the red tie, though the tie is hard to see as he's wearing a truly enormous scarf. He seems kind at least. _Seems_ kind that is.

"Are you the transfer student I heard about?" He asks in a kind voice. I nod. "I see. Well, I'm Kyouhei Katayama. It's nice to meet you." He then goes on to say. "So, you get one of those emails? Y'know, one of those 'end of the world' ones? My class was really freaking out about it. Particularly this one guy, he replied to it and was told he would die today. Started freaking out about it. I bet it's an automated response or something…but still. Kinda creepy." He laughs awkwardly. What a stupid thing to laugh at. I can relate to his friend's problem though. Apparently I'm marked for death too.

"It's one of the 'Seven Mysteries' apparently. This school has seven mysteries surrounding it, and apparently this site is one of them. I did some research." He then pushes his glassed up the bridge of his nose, evidently trying to look cool. Sadly it's working.

"Similar emails were sent before, during the nineties. It wasn't just this school either, that fancy boarding school was involved too." Fancy boarding school? But isn't this a 'fancy boarding school'? I guess he means a fancier, boarding-ier…never mind.

"Not just Tokyo either. There were several schools hit, St. Hermelin was one of them. I'm going to make it my mission to discover all of these mysteries and get to the bottom of them!" St. Hermelin? Why is that name familiar…argh…I can't remember…

"I'm thinking of starting a club to investigate it, would you be interested?" He asks as if earnestly asking for help. I can't really turn him down, can I? I mentally sigh. I end up nodding. "Thanks, man! Ah… What was your name again?"

"David Beale. And you're welcome." I give him an earnest smile.

"Holy shit! You CAN talk!" OK, I have to suppress a laugh at that.

He then gestures to the room opposite mine, 215, and proceeds to dig out his keys. "I'll talk to you some more soon then!" He says as I nod politely and enter my own room. So much for not joining any clubs.

I sigh.

So I'm gonna be mauled by an animal, huh? I lean back on the large mirror in my room, deep in thought. I should steel myself to reply to that email. I should see it for myself. But my legs won't move. 'Death' was my immediate future…but it rarely does mean actual death, not to mention there were more cards after that. But… what was it that that weird guy, Igor said? …I feel a slight pang of pain in my head as I remember what he said more clearly than I thought possible.

"_It seems that your journey may take any number of paths, or even end prematurely, based on your own actions."_

... So I could die anyway. Great. I remain deep in thought. So deep in thought in fact, I don't notice the door knocking immediately. When I finally do, I open it to be greeted by a beautiful beaming smile. What the hell is she doing here? Thank god her eyes are closed so she can't see my worried look. I assume my emotionless mask and decide to give Kuwasaki a look that says, basically, 'dafuq are you doing here?'

Upon opening her left eye to see why I haven't spoken yet, She giggles. … Is it hot in here, or is it just me?

"I'm just here to talk to you silly!" She sticks her tounge out, winking at me, before changing her face into a pout. "…Aren't you going to invite me in?"

I would, but I'm afraid that if I do, I might meet an untimely demise. Wow. Bad joke given the circumstances. I move aside, letting her in as she tosses her bag on my bed and begins to inspect the room. What the hell is with this girl? I go through middle school without having so much as a coquettish smile from a girl, and then I transfer to Tokyo and suddenly I've got a girl flirting with me and barging into my room. Man, the transfer student magic IS that good. I glance at Kuwasaki. She's looking at the mirror right now.

"Wow, so you have a mirror too? I guess all of the rooms here do." She turns to me, just in time to catch my deadpan look. "Uh, I mean the large, grand mirrors. I wouldn't have thought the boys dorm would have them too. I was just wondering if every room does, and if so…why?"

"I see. It is slightly curious…" I muse. Oh wait. N-oh shit. I just said that out loud.

"You talked! Yay!" She flings her arms around me and jumps for joy. Man, this girl is excitable. I realise that as she jumps I can feel…something pressing against my chest. I find my face flushing slightly. Man, this girl's dangerous. Does she not know she's doing it, or what? What did you even come here for? She's still giggling. In fact, she's so over excited we both fall against my mirror. …At least it wasn't the bed, or this could have gone south pretty quickly.

"Huh? What the?!" She exclaims before screaming. I quickly realise why. I, and by extension, her, am falling into the mirror. Wait, _into_ the mirror?

…

… …

I fall flat on my back with Kuwasaki on top of me. It's as if the mirror was a door left just slightly ajar, and we fell through it after leaning on it. I exhale. I just…fell in a mirror. I just fell into a mirror. _Oh my god, I just fell inside a freaking mirror!_ Oddly… I'm not exactly freaking out right now. I feel…rather calm. Do I act so deadpan that it has finally become my actual mind-set? Or…have I actually gone crazy. I feel movement and so I look up. Kuwasaki looks panicked. I've got to calm her down, I can't let her panic. I'm supposed to die today, not her. I've got to protect her. I mean, if I really am supposed to die today, I'd bet 10 grand it'd be in here somewhere. I'm not sure if I can accurately describe my surroundings, but let me try. I'm currently in what can only be described as a small clearing in a forest of mirrors. Mirrors. As far as the eye can see, extending into the mist. There is some kind of seal in the centre of this clearing, with a seven-pointed star on it. At one of its points is a grand mirror, with an indigo frame. It's… locked? There appears to be a metal cover over the glass, with chains and a padlock securing it. Before me is the mirror I entered through. The mirror _we_ entered through. Lying next to us is another mirror. Broken. I wonder whose bad luck that is… In fact, there are dozens of mirrors all over the floor as well, but they're all broken.

Mauled by an animal, huh?

Kuwasaki is whimpering. She's been babbling for a while now. She looks pale. She's terrified. For some reason, being here fills me with a kind of strange resolve. I feel more confidence than I ever have before. I wrap my arms around Kuwasaki and rise to my feet, helping her to do the same. I realize she's been clinging to me since we fell in here. Her knuckles are white from holding onto my shirt so tightly for so long.

"Stay calm and don't worry. I'm here." I say in a calm tone.

She seems less than inclined to follow my advice. Panic takes over and she snaps, dislodging my arms and shaking my shirt as she yells. "And what difference does that make?! We're both trapped here! We have no food! We'll be dead within the weak! I just-" She cuts off and starts sobbing uncontrollably. I can't blame her. I realise that if we came in, logic dictates we could go back. I look around at the mirrors all around. I wonder if they're connected to all the mirrors in the school, like some sort of secret underground mirror world. I turn my face back to Kuwasaki's. She looks much more feeble than usual. Her shoulders are trembling with sob, her cheeks soaked from streams of tears, her tear-stained eyes looking up into mine, pleading me, _begging me_, to figure a way out.

"Actually, the human body can last longer than a weak without food, and I would know… And anyway, I have been here before, so, like I said. Don't worry." I smile reassuringly. I'm saying before I have a chance to think them. I'm saying things I don't understand… Why? Have I been here before? I do feel as though I have, I guess. I recognize it here… That seal…it angers me. I don't know why, but it does. I walk with Kuwasaki towards the mirror we entered from, which is made difficult as she refuses to let go of my shirt.

"Kuwasaki-san. I'll escort you through there back to my room, okay? I'm not done here so I'll return here after I know your safe."

"What?! Your nuts?! You can't come back here! Wait! What do you mean 'escort me out'? What do you mean you've been here before!?" She shakes my shirt again. With how tightly she's gripping it, she'll tear it before long. I ignore her and take hold of her hand, gently prying it from my shirt, and guiding her into the mirror. We then walk through it, as if it were an empty archway, back into my room.

"There you go." I knew it would work. I don't know how I did, but I did. I then turn around and place my hand on the glass, only for it to easily slide inside it at the slightest pressure.

"What! You were serious about going back there?!" She yells. I wince and turn my head towards her.

"Shhh. Don't be so loud." I say as I push through the mirror. Only nothing happens. As I try to push through, I find Kuwasaki's arms around my waste trying to pull me back.

"Don't be an idiot!" She says through gritted teeth. I sigh and stop pushing. "Kuwasaki.-san" I say suddenly. She emits a sound and, from the feel of it, raises her head.

"Y-Yes?"

"I have…" I sigh. "I have memory problems. My past is like a jigsaw. There is a lot about my life I can't remember. It's as if I've read a summary instead of watching the film, y'know? But that place… I remember it – it doesn't fit with anything else I **do** remember, but I remember it nonetheless. I've gotta look around. There might be a clue there." I don't tell her that I know _why_ my memory is fragmented of course, because I do. But I don't feel like going into that now.

She remains silent for a short while, before loosening her grip slightly. "Is this related to those weird emails?"

"I don't know, but I'm going to find out." I confirm as much to myself as to her.

"Then… Can I go with you?" She pauses awkwardly. "One person isn't much of a party, Shujinko-san" She laughs hollowly. Again with 'Shujinko-san' Come to think of it, I haven't told her my name yet, have I? Her analogy does work in this situation.

"David Beale" I say, grabbing her hand and walking through before she resists.

Once through, I let go of her hand and walk up to one of the random mirrors near the clearing. I note that some have gold frames, like the one in my room, and others have silver frames. This mirror is, just like the one in my room, big enough for me to walk into. I place my hand on its surface and, sure enough, it begins to melt through. "Wait!" Kuwasaki says, in an urgent tone. Is she gonna try and stop me again? I turn around to see Kuwasaki tying her bowtie on the mirror leading to my room. "We don't want to get lost now, do we?" I smile. That's a good idea, actually. I give a thumbs up and hold out my hand, seeing as Kuwasaki doesn't appear to be able to enter mirrors on her own, seeing as she's leaning on one now. She takes it with a nervous smile as we enter the mirror. Only now we're falling from a ceiling. I land with a thump, with Kuwasaki landing on top of me with another thump. Does she do that on purpose? She gets off of my back and falls onto her knees, as I pick myself up off the floor and stagger into the wall. I feel really lightheaded. The surroundings appear to be the reception of some kind of indoor arena.

"You alright?" I ask Kuwasaki speaking in a concerned tone.

She nods slowly, then shakes her head. She really is pretty cute. I bend down and fix her with a soft gaze. I decide to take it slow. "You know those emails? You mentioned them earlier… You did get one, right? The one about the year ending next June."

She nods slowly. Right. Here goes. "Well, apparently someone asked it when I would die. And, supposedly, it's today. I'm willing to bet it's supposed to be in here, too."

She looks rather put-off by that to put it mildly. "Y-you can't…! You c-can't die! I told you coming back here was a bad idea!" She cries pitifully. Does she really like me, or is she just really kind? If we both survive this, I think I'd like to find out.

"I'm not going to die in here, Kuwasaki-san." I say, confidence seemingly gathering within me from the surroundings. "I have, in fact, done this before. The more I think about it, the more I become sure. Creepy emails be damned, I have to get to the bottom of this."

"Th-that doesn't make any sense!" She cries, "Your just being stupid!"

I sigh. "Look, Kuwasaki-san. Nothing is more frightening to me than loss of self. Loss of identity. If I can recover a bit of myself that is lost, a piece of my memories, then… I have to try." I rise, slowly, to my feet and stumble into the wall, using it to prop me up in my light-headed state. I then find myself being supported by Kuwasaki, having grabbed my arm to help me. Noticing my COMP, she considers something before nodding .

"We should…exchange COMP details later…" She says slowly. I wonder if that was what she dropped by my room for? Regardless, I begin walking, slowly, with Kuwasaki taking tiny little steps at my side.

"Coming with me?" I ask with faint amusement in my voice.

"I did say I would, didn't I?" She pouts slightly.

"I _am_ supposed to die today, you know." I point out.

"W-well. I'm not. So maybe…if I'm with you, you'll survive." How does she know? Did she check? I decide to ask her that. "Did you ask the email when you'd die then?"

"No…" Her answer is feeble and pathetic.

"So. You don't know then do you?" I laugh hollowly, which makes her hit me. "Ow!"

"There's nothing funny about fearing death!"

I look around. These corridors do look like they belong to some kind of indoor arena, certainly. Which kind, I wonder? I see a sword jutting out of the ground in front of me. It's rusty and dull, but it's still a sword. Well, if I'm meant to die here, I may as well go out with a fight. I pulled the sword out and rested it over my shoulder.

"What's that for?" Kuwasaki asks bluntly.

"Self-defence." I answer simply.

I walk along, using the wall - and Kuwasaki - to help me until I turn a corner and spot…something ahead of me. It's an amorphous mass of purple slime, dragging itself across the floor with gel-like arms. Two red eyes gleam from within the slime. I can think of only one thing to say at that sight.

"Oh Shit, it's seen us".

The creature is speeding towards us. What do I do now? The corridor is long. If we ran, we'd have a head start. Kuwasaki is tugging on my arm. She's yelling at me, but I can't process what she's saying. It's numb. I'm numb. Time seems to stop. I feel as if someone just plunged a meat cleaver into my skull.

_I am Thou, Thou art I. Take hold of my hand and open thine eyes. Call forth that which lies within, for thou art the one who shall open the gate. Call upon your true power now. Grasp the light, and begin your journey!_

I'm doubled over in pain, clutching my head with teeth clenched – just like before. But I don't cry out this time. Instead, I feel a soft, soothing sensation on my forehead. I bring my hands away from my head to see, sitting in my bandaged right hand…

A tarot card. The Fool. It's upright. I recall my dream… This is the card that that old man said represented me. I've heard that before. Seen it too, it comes up a lot in my tarot readings. But it's not only that. It's the _exact_ card from the _exact_ deck as from the dream. I stare at it. It emits a light…it's cool, soothing, warming, calming. I'm no longer dizzy, or light headed. My right hand feels fine also. I can see a figure on the card, it's design has changed now. I recognize that figure. Of course! How could I forget? That figure…that voice…it's all me! It's the mask I wear every day! I can't remember how I know this, but now I know what to do. I'm going to live. Kuwasaki is going to live. We're both getting out of this alive!

…

… …

The creature lunges at me, transforming into a trio of black ravens with lantern's clutched in their feet. One of them reaches me and slices at me with its talons. The scratches are absorbed into thin air. My lips pull back into a self-confident, vaguely insane smile.

"Per…" I adjust my stance stabilizing myself. "…so…" Kuwasaki cowers from the ravens, but looks upon the blue spotlight now surrounding me with awe. I extend my hand, the tarot card now engulfed with blue flames. "…na!" I clench my bandaged right hand around the card, crushing it and feeling a great release, as if I had broken through a mental barrier. I gasp at the release. Blue fire erupts in a circle around me – the fire of my soul. Clear as day, a voice rings through the hallway.

"_Thou art I and I am thou! From the sea of thy soul I cometh. I am Saidani, the Honourbound Radical!"_

A roar of triumph erupts from the physical manifestation of my psyche. A lithe figure appears, looking like a mechanical skeleton, wearing crimson-and-violet armour, with scarlet shoulder pylons, glowing yellow eyes and long, flowing scarlet hair; a long, spear-like javelin is clutched in a claw-like left hand.

"Agi!" I speak instinctively, pointing my arm towards the ravens. Saidani raises his left forearm into the air, causing one of the ravens to burst into flames. It survived it however.

"Cleave!" I call out, as Saidani lunges towards that same eagles and slices his spear across its back, vanishing into light once he does so. It disappears into shadow once hit. One of them then heads for Kuwasaki.

"I don't think so, you bastard!" I yell out, charging towards Kuwasaki and wielding the rusty sword, thudding it into the raven, which sends it off-course into the wall. I smirk. I then summon Saidani once more and have him cast Tarukaja to increase my strength. I dodge the last raven, and thud my sword into the downed raven, dissipating it into shadow. I turn around, having Saidani use Cleave, amped by Tarukaja, to destroy the last raven.

I exhale. Saidani… Of course. This power of mine… Persona. How could I have forgotten it?

I bend down to check on Kuwasaki. She's shaking, but unharmed.

"W-what w-was that?" She asks fearfully.

"It's all right." I say and show her the card. "This is Saidani. My Persona. He is the mask I wear to hide from the world. I awakened to him years ago, but I forget how I did so. He is a part of me." I place my right hand over my heart. "I can protect you now. I can get us out of here. But first the danger here must be nullified, lest it spill over into our world."

"What happened to your right hand?" Shit. I look down at my heart. Sure enough, the hand there is bandaged. I guess she hadn't noticed yet.

"An accident." I confirm falsely. I hastily move it out of view.

"Why is it bandaged?" Of course she'd ask that.

"It's nothing serious." I lie. No, rather, I…dodge the question. That's right, I dodge the question.

I stand up, taking her hand in my left. "Follow me!" I grin and take off towards the door at the end of the hall. I slash at the lock with my sword, but it does nothing. Kuwasaki then gives the door a slight push, and it opens. Damn. That made me look stupid. She giggles at the look on my face. Guess she's feeling a bit better. I kick open the door fully.

…

… …

I see two identical boys looking at each other from inside a boxing ring. One of them has brown eyes, the other has weird, glowing yellow eyes, and both have brown hair. The one with the glowing eyes is surrounded by mist-like indigo flames.

"No…! No! No! YOU'RE NOT ME!" The brown-eyed boy yells at his doppelgänger, who smiles horrifyingly at the words. The slight wisps of blue flames around him erupt into a full on scarlet inferno around the gold-eyed boy. I see a large tarot card appear spectrally in front of the inferno, turning around to reveal it is The Chariot in reverse. The card shatters and the flames dissipate revealing a grotesque plant-like figure. He wastes no time in creating a dark seal in front of the red-eyed boy, who screams before hitting the floor dead. I charged towards him but I had reached him too late. I look down at his body. He is wearing a red tie. Could be that guy from Katayama's class? I can hear laughter coming from the plant-man.

"**I am a Shadow. The **_**True**_** Self. That pitiful husk was nothing more than a mas-"**

It shut up. Good. I was hoping a good punch to the face would result in that. "Listen up. You just killed a man. Yourself. Don't you know that's suicide?" A glance to Kuwasaki out of the corner of my eye reveals that she is just staring at me, open mouthed. Whoops, I think I broke her. "You alright there Kuwasaki-san?" I call.

"I could listen to your voice all day!" She said without realising what is was she had said.

"**That… That THING…was NOT true to ourself. It just wanted to please others. That's why…I had to destroy it! And if you're going to stand in the way of me living true to myself…then I'll destroy you, too!"**

I knew that was coming. I lunge with my blade and he dodges, lodging a branch, cloaked with magic into my side. Holy shit, that hurts something rotten. He twists the branch in the wound. Ow, to put it mildly. I cry out, sprawled on the floor. I realize how this must look to Kuwasaki. Namely - I'd look dead. I struggle to raise my hand and use what's left of my strength to crush the now-falling spectral card of Saidani, summoning fourth the Honourbound Radical to knock the monster off of me, allowing me to stand. I notice something lodged in the hilt of my sword. I feel a wave of exhaustion come over me and I fall to one knee. It's… a seed. The seed of a peach, specifically. And after a silly argument with myself, I decide to eat it. I feel a bit better, enough to stand and… Oh god it's heading for Kuwasaki. I call Saidani to protect her, and watch as he nulls the physical blow of the Shadow. "Agi!" I cry out, extending my left arm. The creature bursts into flames and hits the floor. It seems to be weak to flame. I take advantage of the situation and set off another Agi, dizzying the monster. But this is bad. I can feel my vitality falling. I fall onto one knee again. Feeling drained. I don't have much left. I have a plan. I hope I survive it. "T-Tar…Taru..."

Man. I really am exhausted. I think of Kuwasaki, whom I promised would survive. I think of Katayama, whom I promised I would help. I think of that boy, who I failed to save. I feel my strength boil. "Tarukaja!" Saidani twirls his blade and boosts our power.

_**Burning Up!**_

"Saidani!" I summon Saidani once more to cause an explosion with Agi over the dizzy form of the monster. It lets out a terrible scream, before falling over in an explosion of ethereal scarlet flames.

I slump backwards, only to be caught by Kuwasaki. "Kuwasaki…-san?"

She smiles at me tearfully. "Please…call me Sachiko. You've saved my life twice now already…there is no need to be so formal." I nod and, with her help, rise to my feet. The body's gone. I wonder where… Well, anyway, that is for later. Right now, I need a rest. We stagger back the way we came, and I manage to jump up through the mirror, carrying Kuwasaki with me. I then walk, with her, back into my room, where we agree to talk more tomorrow, but for now, we both need a rest. I watch her go and close the door. Stumbling onto my bed and falling unconscious the moment my head hits the pillow.

…

… …

I recognize that music. I open my eyes slowly, only to be greeted by a sea of blue velvet.

"Welcome to the Velvet Room." The tengu-nosed man says. I think his name was Igor? It all seems to be coming back to me now. "Do not worry, you are fast asleep in the real world…" He said that before… Ha. I guess this place is real.

"So, you remembered your power, did you?" Alice smiles at me. "Could I see it…?" She asks me alluringly. What is it with girls? Regardless, I hand her the card.

She then opens the locked tome in her lap and places the card on the one of the pages. It glows, and then she hands it back to me.

"I have recorded the information of your Persona so that you might re-summon it whenever you desire." Alice smiles demurely.

"You are the fourth individual with such mastery over your own psyche, and the third to have such mastery naturally. Will you be as successful as those prior?" Nameless muses in a matter-of-fact tone.

"Ah yes… Your unique power. That of the 'Wild Card' It is an ability that allows you to create and maintain limitless Personas. After battle you may see spectral cards before you. Only you, however will see them. Some of them, may awaken new areas of your psyche and thus, grant access to new Personas. If you bring them here, you will be able to record them in your Persona Compendium – the tome that Alice is assigned to watch over. You will also be able to hand them to me, where I may be able to fuse them together into a new Persona. Do you understand?" Igor peers over his tented fingers at me.

"Remarkably, Yes. I do."

Alice then speaks up again "Each Persona is affiliated with one of the Major Arcana. The power that your Personas possess will grow as you progress your Social Links. Social Links are bonds forged with people you meet in your everyday life. By strengthening your Social Links, you forge bonds that cannot be broken." She closes her eyes and nods. "Only by forging such bonds will you be able to fulfil your destiny. Keep an eye out, as anyone, no matter the circumstances, could be someone with whom your destiny intertwines. And as you help them, they will help you"

I nod slowly. I…sort of understand? Would that make Kuwasaki a Social Link?

"Splendid. Well then, I will bid you farewell for now. Take care until our next meeting…"

And with that, the room fades away…

* * *

**Chapter's End Corner~**

And that's the new Chapter 1. Also if it weren't obvious, the skill the shadow uses to kill its host was Mudo, and he inflicts David with exhaustion. The 'Burning Up' bit is supposed to represent the cut screen to the character's eyes whenever you get a critical or hit a weak point. (Or, just randomly P4tA) As for the 3 prior 'Wild Card's they are Makoto Yuuki, Aigis, and Yu Narukami, with Aigis being the one that didn't naturally have it, as she inherited it from Makoto.

Brotagonist's stats are:

**Courage:** Fearful

**Knowledge: **Average

**Dilligence:** Slacker

**Understanding: **Bad

**Expression: **Rough

**Charm: **Clueless

**Social Links:**

_None yet._


	3. 002: Shuffle Time

DISCALAIMER: Persona belongs to Atlus and Square Enix, I make no claim to the ownership of the name nor themes therein.

* * *

Date: Wednesday 4th June

Weather: Cloudy

Moon: Full

* * *

I wake up feeling rather more energetic than yesterday. I'm fully re-energized and raring to go. I cast my thoughts over what happened yesterday. _Saidani…_ My other self? Somehow I know that to be true. However why did that brown-haired guy's other self go berserk? Could it be… Argh. My head hurts when I try to remember. I sit up and run my fingers through my messy morning hair. That guy rejected it though, didn't here? Perhaps if I had rejected Saidani, then… I shake my head and decide to get out of bed. I enter the on-suite bathroom – well, it doesn't have a bath, just a shower, toilet and sink - and drag a brush through my hair, looking at my reflection in the mirror. My fingers support my face as I begin to consider my present situation. I was meant to die yesterday, right? But I'm still alive right now. Perhaps, I was meant to have rejected Saidani? 'Mauled by an animal'? Hah. 'Mauled by a Shadow' more like. Nevertheless, I did survive. Saidani fell under my control as soon as he appeared. What was it Igor said? That I'd awoken to him before? It did seem to feel that way. When I summoned him, it felt… Argh. Still hurts to remember. Damn, I need to see a therapist about this memory thing. But still. I was said to die yesterday. It's likely he was as well. Hey wait… Didn't that guy living next to me…what was his name, Katayama? Didn't he mention a guy in his class freaking out over his supposed impending death? The guy I encountered in the Mirror was a second-year, just like Katayama. I don't think it would be a stretch to say that they were probably one and the same.

Not wishing to be lost in a reprieve all day, I stretch my limbs and try to wake up properly. I realise that I'm still wearing my uniform. It's creased as all hell. Damn it looks like I've been dragged through a hedge backwards. I sigh. I try to smooth out my school uniform, however I'm unable to look convincingly like I got changed last night. Oh well. I notice that Kuwasaki left her bag here last night. I stare at it for a while. Is it arrogant of me to think that she might have left it here on purpose, as an excuse to drop back? I shake my head. I was so tired that I slept in my uniform, so it's not unlikely that she was simply knackered that she just forgot. As her class is just next to mine, I decide to drop it off to her. I notice that I slept wearing my COMP as well. I frown. That can't be for it. It seems to working however, so I decide to give it the benefit of the doubt. I double-check that my Persona Card is in my pocket before locking the door. You can never be too careful after all.

I head towards the school buildings, walking casually in my long, black coat. Everyone is staring at me. From this, I can infer two things; number one: it seems that word got out fast about me being marked for death yesterday, and number two: that the student body is really superstitious. Basically, everyone is amazed I'm alive. I decide to ignore them until I reach the building I'm aiming for. I then immediately head for Class 1-2. I feel a wave of…something…washing over me. I'm unsure what it is exactly, but I believe it to be a…major case of the nerves. For all I know, her whole class knows about my Persona. I swallow hard, and tentatively open the door. After a quick scan, I see her. She has her back to me right now. She appears to be talking to a pair of girls that I presume are her friends. I steel myself to call out to her. "Sachiko-san!"

"Eh?" She turns around at the sound of her name, finding me standing there with her bag balanced on my outstretched left hand. She looks from me, to her friends, to me again, slowly turning scarlet.

Oh crap, I just realised why. I look dishevelled, and so does she – though noticeably less so. I turn up with her bag and call her by her first name. Plus, I spoke. The fact that I'm not mute seems to surprise most people, almost as if I only speak to those I like, unless it's important. Which, to be fair, is pretty accurate.

"Sacchan? Is this guy for real?" One of her friends gasps. "Is he your boyfriend?"

Another friend giggles and smirks "Maaaaan, you sink your claws in fast. No wonder you were surprised by the corpse that was found last night. You missed the announcement because you were too busy _getting_ busy!"

My embarrassed smile falls. The hard look of Saidani fills my eyes. "Wait a minute. Corpse? What corpse? Brown haired second-year, right? Face frozen in shock?" I speak in a urgent tone.

"Uh…yeah? It was Michiko Matsuda, I think… I heard he was depressed, but suicide? Didn't think he was the sort." Her straight-haired friend answered.

"He was prophesized to die by that email." I say with a completely straight face.

"Seriously?" Her curly-haired friend asks.

"99% sure." I confirm before turning to Sachiko. "I'll see you later, Sachiko-san. I'm going to be late for class. You can drop by my room after class if you like." I turn, and with a flip of my hair, I exit and head down the hall to Class 1-3, abandoning Sachiko to the fate of explaining my having her bag to her friends. I could care less about socializing right now. That poor guy I was too slow to save… It sounds as if his corpse was ejected from the other world when I defeated his Shadow. I think I better head back there. There might be some clue, or something I can use. I nod in confirmation. I'll head out after school.

**Early Morning - Morning**

I walk into the classroom late, but Sakuya isn't here yet. That's good. I take my seat and notice that the creeper guy… Takashi, was it? …is here today, after he vanished during lunch yesterday. He looks dishevelled too, come to think about it. Damn him. His uniform is so much more formal, it even looks good when he's been doing god knows what. He gives me a faint smile. He looks outwardly-terrible, his hair even messier than yesterday, but he seems as vibrant as ever. I notice a pair of girls return to their seats as Sakuya walks in. Were they…stroking his hair? "Seeya ladies, I promise I'll help you study later!" He notices me looking and smirks, whispering as Sakuya slumps in his chair. "The ladies can't get enough of my hair. Come to think of it, the men can't either. But I'm not having my way with them or anything. They just come to me with pitiful grades and ask for help…and wind up engrossed in my hair. You wanna touch it?" Wait what? 'Do I wanna touch your hair?' What kind of question is that? But… It does look soft. Like flaxen-coloured silk, woven into hair… _Wait what am I thinking?!_

Thankfully, Sakuya saves me the bother of answering, though I notice Takashi looking distinctly put out, when I don't touch his hair. "Sorry I'm late again, class." Sakuya says in a droning voice. "I-" he began, but the rest of his class finished. "Overslept again!" It is quite obvious that Takashi finishes a few seconds after every everyone else in a lyrical voice. You can almost see the tilde.

"Yes. That." Holy crap, how do they know him so well already? School only started two months ago. Is he that bad? Takashi gives Sakuya a Cheshire cat grin.

"What was it this time, Sakuya-sensei? Were you out on the town?" Takashi made drinking motions with his hands. "Or were you _out on the town_" He said, wiggling his eyebrows. Man. That Takashi has balls.

Sakuya pinches the bridge of his nose is annoyance. "Takashi-kun. Why must you always cause such a scene?"

"Because if I didn't, we'd all have to sit through one of your lectures – which, let's face it, would be much worse for all of us." Takashi winks at the teacher.

"Is that a jab at my teaching, Takashi-kun?" Sakuya smiles wryly and folds his arms. I get the feeling that they do this kind of verbal sparring a lot.

"No…No, of course not. It's merely a jab at your ability to structure lessons. Spoiler alert! You can't do it." That… That was cruel, Takashi. He doesn't seem that bad a teacher to me. This entire class just seem like bad students. Though then again, I've only been here a day and a half, so I suppose I'm not really in the know.

Sakuya-sensei seems a little hurt. "Takashi-kun, I'm going to go easy on you today, because of the incident last night, but don't try my patience, alright?" Incident? He must be talking about that guy Matsuda. Damn I feel like a such a failure now. If I'd have just been a little quicker finding that room…!

"I have also been made aware of those emails, and they've been traced back to a known spamming address. The police are investigating the cause of death, but it does look like a suicide. So you can stop all those silly rumours, alright?" There are murmurs all around the class. The police are involved already? I suppose it would be naïve to assume they wouldn't be at this point. Still… The emails were traced back to spam? I find that hard to believe. That site… Could I have been wrong about its significance? Should I go to the police with the info that the site is real? I feel rather intimidated by the prospect… Surely they would have checked it out themselves?

"Now. Class will end at midday because of the commotion. You are to return to your dorm rooms, and not to leave until tomorrow morning, alright?" The class erupts in outrage, but Sakuya manages to quell them, and begin the class.

**Morning - After School**

I exit the classroom and head for the dorms as soon as class lets out. I consider going to see Kuwasaki to apologize for this morning… I begin to wonder if I'm developing feelings for her, despite the short time I've known her. The 'suspension bridge effect' would explain it. I dismiss it however. I don't get much time to think further, as I am ambushed by Takashi. He just jumps out of nowhere, blocking the door.

"TOUCH MY HAIR" He yells at me, his face a comical mix of embarrassment and rage. What? This crap again.

"… What is it with you and your hair?" I reply, stumbling backwards as I do so.

"Just do it! Touch my hair, damn it!" He savagely grabs my bandaged hand and tries to force it to his hair. "You said you would!"

I grimace in pain. He grabbed my hand rather forcefully and twisted it in an asinine attempt to get me to touch his hair. The problem is the arm he did this with is my right arm. And, of course, my right hand is bandaged. And, in fact, underneath the bandages are a number of stitches. Needless to say, I'm in quite a bit of pain. "TAKASHI-SAN LET GO OF ME THAT HURTS!"

Takashi lets me go immediately and looks stunned at his own actions. "I…I'm so sorry. I didn't think… I…" He bows solemnly. "If you touch my hair right now, we need never speak again!"

I look at him, aghast for a short moment, before bolting past him and out the door. I should probably go to the nurse. I don't see any bloodstains on my bandages… I can probably do without for now. I reach my room about ten minutes later, and see Katayama just ahead of me. I debate over calling out to him, but I don't have enough courage to do so. I don't really feel like talking anyway. He notices me soon enough anyway, and gives me a nonchalant wave. "I take it you heard about that guy in my class who died huh? He was the one I was talking about yesterday… How could this have happened man…"

Damn. I was hoping to make it into my room before someone tried talking to me. "Was he a friend of yours?" I ask, sensing the genuine remorse in his voice.

"Hm? Nah. But I'd seen him around and I knew him from class." Katayama shakes his head. "Call me crazy but I can't shake the feeling that those emails were involved, y'know? I mean police calling it spam be damned, Matsuda-san isn't the sort to kill himself, and he wasn't being bullied. It doesn't add up. The only thing I know which foreshadowed his death was the emails."

I nod. "You're not crazy. There could any number of invisible factors that we don't know about. But you're not crazy, and I agree with you."

He looks surprised. As in, genuinely stunned that I didn't shoot him down outright. "… You do?"

"Yeah, kinda." I admit without explaining why.

"Thanks man, I appreciate it. But, if you don't mind my asking… Why?" He asks adjusting his glasses. _Damn you._ I think. I deliberate on my answer before coming up with: "Hm. What about you?"

He seems a little put off by my defensiveness. "…Touché" he says finally. "Well, if you still want to help me investigate this, I usually hang out on the second floor balcony after class, okay? Well see ya later!" I watch Katayama disappear into his room. Following suit, I head into my own.

I sigh. I painfully pull my right hand out of my pocket and look at it lopsidedly. I flex it. It hurts. But it does move. That's a good sign. I really should go and see the nurse. However, before I get the chance, I immediately see a blinding flash of bright white light and suddenly, I have two body-sized mirrors instead of one. The one I fell through with Sachiko yesterday, but that's always been there, and a more elaborate ultramarine framed one with ornate golden markings. What is even more curious about it is that my reflection isn't the one I can see. Rather, I can see the white-haired girl from the Velvet Room, Alice, staring at me intently. _What the hell?!_

"My master would like to request your presence." She says simply. And that means? Am I supposed to go to sleep? Have I already fallen asleep?

She watches me intently, curling one of her bangs around her finger idly. I notice that she has stepped backwards a bit. Am I meant to…?

I touch the mirror's surface and immediately melt through it. All I can see is white before my vision reveals that I'm now sitting across from Igor, Nameless and Alice.

"Welcome to the Velvet Room" Igor greets me the same way he has twice before. "Now then… It appears that you have opened your eyes to your destiny." Igor starts. "So, from this day forth, you will be our treasured guest once more, here, in the Velvet Room." Igor gives an eerie smile.

"The surface of a mirror is said to reflect us as we truly are…You are unique. You're mirror reflects you as you are now. You are…the first such person to enter this room. Remarkable." Nameless says, lost in thought while his fingers continue playing, seemingly of their own accord.

"Entering into the mirror will take you to the place where it all began. You must conquer the impulses of the mind and prevent them from clouding your judgement and corrupting your spirit…" Alice drones in a voice a lot more alluring than it probably should have been.

Igor nods. "We have already explained to you the some of the benefits of Social Links, but they serve a purpose far greater than that." He explains. "As your bonds grow, stronger, and stronger Personas will be yours to command." More Personas? I can use multiple Personas?

"Excuse me, but may I ask how I can use multiple Personas, if Saidani is my other self?" I voice my confusion.

"It is your power, the power of the 'Wild Card'. It is a power that allows you to awaken multiple Persona, from the bonds that you share with others." Are you trying to rub it in that I don't have any friends, big nose?

"Social Links are the guiding lights that will reveal the way to your inevitable fate – provided that it is what you desire, that is." Alice finishes. "We will be observing your journey with great interest." She laughs. Such a melodic sound. I could get lost in it forever. Though then again, the same could be said for Igor and Nameless's voices, as well as the music of this place. In fact, the Velvet Room as a whole I find very intoxicating. It's like a drug. I hope it's not addictive.

"I, in particular, will be quite interested to see how your soul develops." She gives me a warm smile.

"The next time you come here, will be of your own free will. Until then, farewell."

My vision fades before readjusting itself outside the Velvet Mirror. It is still reflecting Alice. Why? … Does it reflect desires or something? I straighten my tie.

"I'm watching you~" She says with a large degree of amusement and satisfaction. Does that mean…she'll always be looking out of this mirror? I suppose it makes sense, if this mirror only exists to be a door to the Velvet Room. I swallow and glance at my hand. I suppose I'd better get going. I place my left hand on the mirror, letting it slide through until I hear a knocking at the door. _If that's Takashi, I swear to god…_

I open the door to see Sachiko, however. Though see seems rather nervous. I step aside to let her in and almost immediately, she grabs my tie, drags me inside, kicks the door closed and pulls my face down to hers.

"WHAT THE HELL WAS THAT?! Leaving me to clean up that mess you started? Honestly!" She releases me and thuds down onto my bed, a sour look on her face. Its kinda funny. I decide to tell her that.

"You're not laughing." She says bitterly. I suppose I do have a straight face right now. I guess her explaining things to her friends went badly.

"Are you alright?" I ask honestly.

"Hmph. No, I'm tired." She huffs. I'd say she's kinda cute like this if I didn't have other things on my mind. Wait a minute. I turn around. Sure enough, Alice is still staring out of the Velvet Mirror, craning her neck to try and see Kuwasaki.

I sit down at the table and look across it at her. "I am sorry. I'm not good with situations like that."

"… And you think I am? I don't want any weird rumours starting about me being easy. I get enough attention for my chest as it is." Sachiko scowls.

I run my left hand down my face and look at her remorsefully. I really can't think of what to say. At least she seems incapable of seeing Alice. I suppose only I can because I'm their 'guest'. I try to tent my fingers but it causes my right hand to throb painfully and I wince noticeably.

"Are you alright?" She asks, concern seeping into her voice. "I knew you were lying yesterday, what did you do to your hand?" She demands.

"It's nothing. It only hurts because that idiot Takashi tried to get me to touch his stupid hair." I remark bitterly, recalling the fiasco outside the classroom.

"Takashi? You mean Eliot Takashi-kun? He's a transfer student from that really fancy boarding school near here. But… He tried to get you to touch his hair? What was that about? Are you sure?" That's the second time I've heard of this 'illustrious boarding school', isn't Tanjou an 'illustrious boarding school'? Is it a rival school or something?

"Yes, he screamed 'touch my hair' at me." I explain. "And grabbed my hand violently, possibly tearing the stitches out." I continue, before realizing what it was I'd said. "Wait a minute."

"…Stitches?" Sachiko repeats slowly.

"…" I can't think of anything to say. This is why, regardless of what Alice or Igor say, having friends is dangerous. Letting my guard down is dangerous. The short-haired girl in front of my jumps to her feet and smacks my left hand away before I can think of a way to react. She then, with a surprisingly gentle touch, takes my right wrist in her hands to see the extent of my bandages. "Kuwas-" I stop, not being used to using first names. "Sachiko-san, please!" I plead with her to let it be.

But she ignores me. She stands there, looking intently at my bandages. For what reason? I don't know. She strokes my hand from my wrist up to my middle finger. It almost looks like she's trying to discern the type of wound.

The problem is, there are two types of injury under there.

I finally muster the strength to pull my hand away. I'm trembling? I'm… I'm trembling. Kuwasaki appears to have snapped out of whatever trance she was in. "David-san, are you ill?" She asks me in a slow voice.

Ill? No…Not ill. I sigh. "No." I answer bluntly. "Can I ask what this is about?"

Kuwasaki brightens up and shakes her head. "Nothing, nothing." She laughs falsely. "So, what should we do, huh? It's still early afternoon yet." Why aren't you hanging out with your own friends?

"Well." I start, trying to build up my emotional defences again. "I'm going back into the Mirror. That guy, Matsuda. He died simply because I was too slow to save him. If I can prevent this happening again, it's my responsibility to do so." I pull out my Persona card and show it to Kuwasaki. "Saidani. He is my other self, just like Matsuda's Shadow was. For some reason, Saidani obeys my commands instead of attempting to kill me, but either way, if I can save someone, then I must do so."

Kuwasaki looks at me for a while. I can't tell if its admiration or worry I see in her eyes. I turn away and look at the Velvet Mirror. Alice seems pleased with my decision to investigate the Mirror. "How do you know all of that?" Kuwasaki says finally.

"Memory fragments. If you don't mind my asking, why do you care?" I turn back to her. "I met you the day before yesterday. Have I given you a reason to worry about me this way?"

She doesn't seem to take too kindly to that. "Do I have to have a reason?" She snaps back. "Does one human have to have a tangible reason to worry about another?"

"Usually." I answer back without thinking.

She seems taken aback. "You did save my life, remember?"

I see. So that's it. " I'm sorry, but you see, you don't really have to be involved. I can do this on my own. I'm… I'm probably better off that way, to be honest."

"Whenever anyone says that, it's usually because they can't stand to be alone." Sachiko counters, fixing me with a hard stare.

I clench my bandaged right hand. "I'm no good with friendships." I say truthfully. "People hold very little interest for me." This whole argument… What is it even about again? I am unable to come up with a proper answer. I can't face this now. "…See you later." I mutter. I then turn around and without another word, enter the Mirror.

I look around, and walk between the mirrors, looking for anything out of place. My ears prick up. I can hear something. I can hear the rattling of chains, somewhere in the mist. Is something heading towards me? I narrow my eyes and focus on my hearing. I hear it again. It's _definitely_ heading towards me. I turn around and bolt towards the nearest mirror I can see, one with a…pink frame? I run right through it and find myself in a truly surreal landscape. I can see a…spring, or fountain of some sort at the end of the…room? The floor is made of stone tiles spread a couple of inches apart. Only, there is no cement between them, and there appears to be a straight drop underneath. Are these tiles floating? There is a curious rainbow band surrounding the 'room'.

"Hey!" I turn towards the sound of the voice. It's… Hold on. Where did that voice come from? Oh… I see now. It's…a fairy. A…real fairy. Well, if a world inside mirrors, Jungian-esque mental apparitions, and a world between waking and sleeping exists, why not fairies too?

The fairy doesn't seem to like my silence. "I said, hey!"

"Ah, yes?" I reply trying to focus on her. She's about the size of my head and neck combined. She appears to be dressed as some kind of slutty nurse.

"Are you here to buy somethin' ?" She inquires before turning around and yelling "Yo! Kazuto! Customer!"

…Buy something? This is some kind of shop? "Excuse me, but is this a shop?"

"Eh? Yeah, I run a healin' spring here." She gestures at the body of water. "I also sell medicinal items. Peach seads, Soul drops, you name it. They ain't cheap though"

A blond man, well, boy-about-my-age then appears, seemingly out of nowhere. "Good grief, how many times have I said this, it's Kazuto-_sama_, Trish-nyan."

The fairy doesn't seem to take too kindly to that and starts yelling abuse at him. He seems to be used to this. "So…" He opens the left-side of his coat. "Long-range?" He then opens the right side. "Or short-range?"

Oh. I see. These two are supposed to be the NPCs who sell the healing items and weapons to the player. 'Shujinko-san' indeed. I feel a pang of guilt. Maybe I should go make things right with Kuwasaki… Ah. But first. "Short-range. A decent Sword would be preferable."

The hustler-looking guy called Kazuto nods. "Reverse-grip? One-hand, or two?"

The fairy is still yelling.

"No, normal grip. One that I could hold either one or two handed would be preferable." I answer, simply stating which would be easier to use.

He nods. "Right. Eastern-style, or Western-style?"

I think about that for a while. That's a good question. Both have their strengths and weaknesses. I decide to go with the style matching that of the rusted sword I found in Matsuda's Shadow World. "Western."

Kazuto smirks. "Very well then, how's this?" He asks, pulling a long, European-style sword out of his coat. How the hell did it fit? Is his coat a portal to a hyperspace arsenal?

That'll work. "That's perfect, thank you!" I take the sword from him, but…he doesn't let go. I then see the reason for the smirk.

"That'll be fifty-five hundred yen." He says matter-of-factly. What? That's extortion! However, he seems to be serious. I want to say something, but I…don't seem to have enough courage. I pay up. "Thank you. Pleasure doing business with you." He turns to leave, but before he does, he pats the fairy on the head. "Bye-bye, Trish-nyan."

The fairy fumes and throws several small bottles at him that all miss. "So. Do you want anything or are you just wastin' my time?!" I don't think I've ever seen one up-close before. The legendary…_tsundere._

"Ah, yeah. You said you sell medicinal items? Could I see them?" I wonder how much these'll cost…

The fairy flies over to the water, where several shelves of items are stacked. "Whaddaya need?"

…

… …

I exit the pink-framed mirror with my wallet considerably lighter. I vow not to make too many trips there. I look around slowly. I spot a mirror with a green bow tied around it, and am once again reminded of Kuwasaki. I head towards the mirror, intending to apologize, but as I do, I see a flash of movement in the corner of my eye.

Immediately, I turn around. There is nothing there, just a mirror. I narrow my eyes. "Hello!" I call out, but receive no answer. I steel myself, and jump through the mirror.

It's… A school. Upon closer inspection, it's _The _School – Tanjou Academy. I walk through the gates and look around once more. This does look like a warped version of the school… Wait. Does this mean…There's another guy here, too, just like Matsuda? I spot a shadow. I run towards it and bring my sword over my head and hit the shadow directly in the face. It transforms into a pair of pink spheres with black stripes and grins filled with teeth the size of my head. I summon Saidani to cast Agi on one of them, but it doesn't work as well as I had hoped. I dodge a massive tounge and hit one with my sword, calling Saidani to use Cleave on the other one. The creature heads towards me, but Saidani kicks it away, slicing it with the blade his foot ends in. It takes a bit of time, but I manage to defeat them, and when I do, I see four cards floating in mid-air. One of them depicts a red-haired young woman with fairy wings, wearing a purple leotard, purple gloves and purple thigh-high stockings. The others are a mix of blank white and black with a red 'X'. I recall Igor explaining about this. I find myself once more speaking a term I cannot possibly know, but at the same time, do… I smile, the same sickening one from when Saidani awoke. "Shuffle… Time." I reach out through the swirling mass of cards and claim the one I was aiming for. I once more see a flicker on movement in the corner of my eye. "Hey!" I call out, but once more do so uselessly. I'm being...stalked? I'm being toyed with…being used. I narrow my eyes in anger and see a flash of light over by the dorms. I waste no time in heading over there.

There…is nothing here. At all. As I stride into the garden in front of the dorm buildings, I can't help but feel like I'm walking into a trap.

"Bufu!"

I turn around upon hearing a voice to see that it belongs to Takashi. Wait, what the hell? What the hell is _he_ doing here? However I don't get much chance think as every cell in my body screams out in agony as I'm encased in a block of ice that quickly shatters.

I'm collapse to my knees before falling forwards. My mind is reeling… I can't…think.

"What are you doing here?" He sounds pretty pissed. He is also wearing a pair of weird glasses with green-tinted, glowing lenses, connected to his COMP via a wire that seems to be likewise glowing green.

"I could ask you the same thing" I say without thinking. Where does this boldness keep coming from?

"You." He says simply. "If you are here, then…" He narrows his eyes.

He pulls a short rapier out of the cane he had with him and charges. What, do I have to fight him now? What about this place's victim?!

I manage to roll out of the way just in time.

"Ow, man, what the hell!? That coulda hurt me!" I say uselessly.

"That's the point." He despatches coolly.

I keep trying to dodging his attacks. Problem is, he's insanely fast and so I keep blocking too late. Not to mention I'm still recovering from the cold snap.

"Why are you here?!" He yells, bringing his rapier down on top of me.

"To save those who that site says will die! To prevent another incident like Michihiko Matsuda!" I justify, blocking his attack. Since when did I know swordplay?

"Ah, to hell with this!" Takashi shouts as a blue light surrounds him and a tarot card descends. "Persona? Oh, Sh-" I begin, but too late.

_**Burning Up!**_

"Loki!" Takashi calls, slicing through the card as a towering, blond, blue-skinned man in indigo and red form-fitting armour appears and throws a spear at me too quickly for me dodge. I'm sent flying, and land in a painfully crumpled heap. Once my mind decides to work properly again, I realise I feel quite sick. I quickly put it down to the way I landed. I try to stand up, but quickly fall to one knee, supporting myself with my sword.

"Don't bother moving." Takashi looks down at my form, quivering with pain. "I've poisoned you. Now you're going to answer my questions."

"Go to hell." I spit through gritted teeth. I vaguely recall one time, were such an act of defiance got me throttled. My reply seems to have as much of an effect on him as it did my attacker then.

Takashi sneers. "How are you here? How did you get into this world? – This dungeon?"

"Are you…ah…are you…an idiot or something?" I pant through the burning pain. "Same-same way you did, I-I assume - through the mirrors." Okay, now he looks furious…and also a little…ashamed? "So… You faced it yourself? You didn't need Casey-san's help?" He asks slowly.

"Faced what?" I ask in a state of confusion. Wait, 'Casey-san'?... Casey Mao? He doesn't seem to like my confusion. He's distracted now, though. I feel myself surrounded by blue light. "Persona!"

Saidani appears and uses Cleave on the other boy at point blank range. It sends him flying. "Still…got some fight left, huh?" He spits at me. I cry out as I feel the poison grip me again. I notice purple blotches creeping up Saidani's form. I suppose that's representative of the poison. I remember the bag of items I purchased from Trish. I pull it out of my pocket and rifle through it.

"Loki! Poison Skewer!" Takashi commands, as his Persona lunges at Saidani and manages to get a spear passed him and throw it at my hand. I dodge it, but only by dropping the bag. What am I going to do now? I topple backwards onto my back. Saidani isn't moving anymore, and is now almost completely awash in purple blotches. My mind is shutting down. I can feel it. The poison is forcefully turning off my body. I can barely move. To Katayama, I hope you find out more about the site. To Takashi… I'd like to have known your side if the story. To Kuwasaki…

I'm Sorry.

…

… …

_I am though. Thou art I. Take hold of my hand and open thine eyes, for thou art the one who shalt open the gate._

The card… The card! Shuffle Time! My eyes snap open.

"Persona… Change!" I call, swapping the spectral card before me with the one obtained through shuffle time. Saidani is engulfed in blue light, shifting into the fairy from the Shuffle Time card. "Dia!" I announce, as the new Persona circles my head bathing me in light. I immediately feel better. I can still feel the poison in my system, but I've undone most of its damage thus far. I slowly get to my feet.

Takashi stares, aghast that I have two Personas. "This is the power of the Wild Card!" I call, feeling the same burning soul as before, when fighting that boy's other self.

_**Burning Up!**_

"Pixie!" I call forth the new Persona and have her summon a bolt of lightning down upon the advancing Takashi.

Takashi yells and falls to his knees. Found it! His Persona's weakness! "Zio!" I call again, asking for Pixie's aid. Takashi cries out once more. He is sprawled out on the floor, and seems incredibly dizzy.

"Takashi-san. Hey, Takashi-san." I sigh. I'm going to regret this…big time. I summon Pixie once more. "Dia!" …and like a prat, I heal him. I bend down. "Hey… Takashi-san. Can we talk? As in, civilly?"

He immediately springs up punches me in the face. Hard. "What kind of horrible creature are you?!" He takes a step back. He looks panicked. Is he…scared of me? He goes to summon Loki again.

"Wait."

That voice… _Mao-san_?

The form of Casey Mao comes into view. "Wait a moment, Takashi-kun." He then turns to me. "Tell me, did you say 'Wild Card'?

I nod slowly. "Saidani. Pixie."

Casey Mao nods. "Alright then. And you intend to continue investigating this world?"

"Casey-san, come on, you can't be serious! He's obviously an enemy!"

Mao-san ignores him. I nod once more. "I want to prevent another casualty like Matsuda-san"

"Very well then. Follow me." He says, leading the way back to the mirror.

"But, Casey-san!" Takashi protests, only to be rebuffed.

"Save it, Takashi-kun. I've known David-kun for most his life. He's as trustworthy as they come" Wait, known me most of my life? I moved away…Was he watching me in Kyoto? Takashi promptly shuts up at that, but gives me a look that says he's just waiting for a chance to show me up.

I follow the two of them, somewhat unnerved. And if you're wondering why I'm trusting them, it's because at the first sign of betrayal I can fry Takashi with Zio.

**After School - Evening**

We enter what appears to be a high-tech secret base-type deal.

"Here. I got these ready." He hands out a pair of glasses with blue-tinted upside-down trapezium shaped lenses. I put them on and look at my reflection. "Are these used for anything besides looking cool?"

Eliot scoffs. "They're prisms. They prevent you from getting disorientated. All the mirrors there screw up your vision. The glasses correct it. The world in there is like in four dimensions or something." I see. It would sound like bullshit, but I gotta admit it _is_ pretty disorientating in there.

"They also dispel the illusions that Shadow's create." Mao-san elaborates. He then motions for them back. "I'll need your COMP. I'll connect them like Eliot's. It's how he was winning that fight until you used Persona Change. I fed him information via the computers here, about your Persona's strengths, weaknesses, skills etc." I have my reservations, but I hand him my COMP along with my glasses. I could use any advantage I can get.

"Casey-san. He has two Personas and-" Takashi begins before being cut off by Mao-san. "I know. The printouts told me." Printouts? Oh… I see. There are a stack of papers with braille on them sitting by a hi-tech pimpmobile of a computer.

"Eliot-kun. Go see Trish-san for a moment, alright? I want to talk to him alone." Mao-san says coolly.

"Ah…alright…" Takashi says dejectedly. I kinda feel sorry for him. He doesn't know about the Velvet Room from the sounds of it. To him, I'm just an invader.

After Takashi re-enters the mirror, Mao-san turns to me. "So… You have the 'Wild Card'…"

"Yes…" I answer slowly.

"Have you any… 'Social Links' yet? You won't be able to progress without them." Mao-san says sympathetically. "I know it's hard, but you must try."

I nod slowly. "I know. I was told that they'd be indispensable. I don't know if I've formed any yet, though."

"When you have, you will know." So, if knows about the Wild Card and Social Links…

"Has Igor contacted you yet? Or Philemon?"

"Yeah. Igor has. He had a girl with him. And a pianist…and a singer too." I answer. "But who's Philemon? Igor mentioned him, but that's all I've heard of him."

"All in due time. If Philemon hasn't appeared to you yet, then it means you don't need to meet him yet." Mao-san explains. "You say he had others with him?" He questions me.

"Alice, Nameless and Belladonna, yes." I answer yes. He nods in understanding. "I see."

"Did…Did the poison Takashi use on me disappear?" I ask, noting how I haven't died yet.

"No. But the room of mirrors did cure it" He explains. "If you ever need any help, come see me, alright? We're underneath the school right now. In the lift, there is one button which requires a key to use." He tosses me a key. "Now you can get down here. Our duty is the elimination of Shadows, and the prevention of the June 2nd 2014 apocalypse. Will you join our cause, he who defies fate?" I see my reflection in his mirrored, black glasses. What a anime-esque situation. It's so intense.

"Sure…" I say in a breathless voice. There really isn't a choice here. I can't walk away from this. "Shadows..."

Casey nods. "The reflection of the soul, the literal shadow of humanity. If someone is in there for too long, then, if they are already rather insecure, a Full Shadow will manifest, and if they aren't accepted…"

"They go berserk and kill their other self?" I finish.

"So you've seen it then." He conforms without saying so. He gestures to the mirror Takashi disappeared into earlier. "Go on. You look tired."

I nod and head towards the mirror gratefully. But before I go, a question springs to mind. "Social Links are…bonds, right?"

Casey smiles. "Yes. They are the bonds of friendship you forge. You'll find that if you try, you may be better at it than you think. That Kuwasaki girl, for instance."

I frown. How did he find out? "Thanks…" I walk into the mirror.

"Good Luck" I hear him say as I do.

I notice the mirror with the green bow is within sight. I wonder if Kuwasaki is still in there. I head towards it before deciding to drop in on Trish, to see how Takashi's doing. However, I did not expect to see the scene I now see before me. A familiar blue haired fairy in a pink sultry nurse's outfit is arguing with Takashi.

"I AM NOT PAYING 15,000 YEN JUST FOR SOME MEDICINE!" Takashi screams at the irate fairy.

"FINE THEN, JUST GO AHEAD AND DIE FOR ALL I CARE!" Trish screams back.

…

15,000 is a bit steep though. I decide not to get involved. I leave.

However Takashi catches up to me as I'm heading towards my own mirror. "So… What was it like for you?" He asks looking at me seriously.

I take a moment to formulate my response. "I wasn't alone. I made a promise to protect someone, and my determination to keep it manifested itself as Saidani." He remains silent. I decide to go on. "I just…summoned him, like I did against you. I then fought against the Shadow of the second-year boy who died. I was…I was too late. He rejected it and… It transformed and killed him."

Takashi looks a little suspicious, but masks it with an obviously-false smile. "Well. I'll see you tomorrow then." He waves. "You might not want to wear those for too long outside of the mirror though." He says, gesturing to my glasses. "They balls up your eyes."

We part ways and I head back through the green bow mirror. I sigh upon getting in. Alice is still standing in my mirror, frowning. "She ran away" She says in her lofty voice. I collapse into the chair.

"It's probably for the best. Twice I got so caught up in fighting that I didn't notice her being targeted by a Shadow. I already let one person die. Not another."

"But you don't believe that" She points out matter-of-factly.

No. I don't. It pisses me off that she says it so freely though, as if she's known me for years. I slam my fist on the table in defeat. "I'll make things right tomorrow morning."

**Evening - Midnight**

I wake up slowly, noting that I had, once again, fallen asleep at my desk. I boot up the computer and glance at the clock. Nearly midnight. …Huh? Why is there a blue blanket over me? I can't bring myself to care in my stupor.

By the time I've loaded up a 'Internet Explorer cannot display the webpage' window with the address from the email, it's midnight. I refresh.

It loads.

It's also still really creepy. As before, it looks like a site trying way too hard to appear demonic and foreboding, while at the same time succeeding. I notice it looks slightly less obviously on-beta. The main bar has changed and has a new link – a death list, apparently updating every day. I click it, nervously. As it loads I start thinking. Is this it? Are we going to save the people on this list every day until next year? We can't just abandon them, but it seems a little impractical for just Takashi and I. A shame Katayama doesn't have a Persona.

My train of thought is halted when the page loads. One name is the list. Just one.

'Sachiko Kuwasaki'

* * *

**Chapter's End Corner~**

**Courage:** Fearful

**Knowledge: **Average

**Dilligence:** Slacker

**Understanding: **Bad

**Expression: **Rough

**Charm: **Clueless

**Social Links:**

_None yet._


	4. 003: Thousand Paradise, Part I

DISCALAIMER: Persona belongs to Atlus and Square Enix, I make no claim to the ownership of the name nor themes therein.

* * *

Date: Wednesday 4th June

Weather: Cloudy

Moon: Full

* * *

I…am in shock. Is this my fault? Is it because I all but sent her away? My mind is reeling. I can't…I don't think I can take much more of this stress. I think I'm losing my mind. Though if being able to summon physical manifestations of my psyche isn't a sign of insanity, then I don't know what is. Come to think of it, if I'm able to summon multiple Personas and yet Takashi can't, does that mean I have dissociative identity disorder? A quick glance at the mirror confirms that Alice is about to speak. I bring my finger to my mouth. "Shush!" I say loudly as I get up and head towards the mirror, charging into the Velvet Room like a shot.

"Welcome to the Velvet Room" Igor addresses me in his own eerie way.

"What does this gesture mean…?" Alice asks me with her head cocked to one side, imitating my shushing motion.

Igor then peers at me over his hands, ignoring his assistant's question. "I see you wish to save those meant to die. Do you intend to change fate itself?"

"If that's what it takes." I say bluntly.

"Very well. I shall aid you in this quest." Igor nods, seeming pleased with my answer. He then gestures to Alice, who, appears to be a little put out that Igor has seemingly no interest in me answering her question. Nevertheless, she takes my Persona Cards, and registering Pixie and updating Saidani, hands both cards over to Igor. He then spreads the cards over the table, infusing them with power. The cards then fizzle for a while, shaking, before violently slamming together like magnets. The aftermath reveals a new card, depicting a golden tear drop with a face.

"_Thou art I and I am thou. From the sea of thy soul I cometh. I am Saki-Mitama. Stay calm and leave everything to me"_

I hear that voice reverberating inside my head. I then notice Alice gazing at me again. It then hits me that I just lost Saidani. "Didn't you say that I could…recall a previously lost Persona from that book?"

Alice smiles. "Certainly. But to withdraw previous Personas from the Compendium, you will have to offer something in exchange." What does she mean 'something in exchange'? I don't like the sound of this…

"I believe the currency of your land should suffice." She says demurely. Is she saying…? She wants money for me to summon my older Personas?!

"I..." I sigh. She doesn't seem to understand why. "How much for Saidani and Pixie?" I ask dejectedly.

…

… …

I spend a long while in the Velvet Room, using up a substantial sum of money to fuse more powerful Personas. Alice never does get an answer to her question. Oh well. I can always explain at a later date. Once I'm content that I've spent too much of the little allowance of money I was given to live on, I return to my room. I decide to call Casey Mao. It takes some time to digging around, but I eventually find the scrap of paper with his number on. I dial the number and he picks up before it even rings.

"Come." That's all he says before he hangs up. How the hell…? Regardless, I decide to go, seeing as I was aiming for this outcome anyway. I put on my coat and double check I've got a deck-holder on my belt full of Persona Cards. I slip my sword into one of my trouser legs, and cover it with my blazer. Once my checks are complete, I nod at Alice and head through the mirror. However I quickly realize that I have no idea which Mirror leads to the secret floor. I sigh. I return to my room and sneak out of the door. I then head to the dorm lift, and sure enough, just like in the main building, there is a button that is really a keyhole. Turning the key results in the lift descending down to the complex that I was in earlier. Mao-san is waiting there to meet me.

"So, you checked?" He asks curtly.

"I…did. Is Takashi-san here, too?"

"No. I've told him he doesn't need to stay up all the time. He's a troubled young man, sleep will do him good. Though the same can be said for you." Mao-san replies emotionlessly. "I have modified your COMP, as promised." He holds out the familiar silver-and-bright blue rectangular gauntlet, though it now has a long wire connecting it to the Mirror Glasses.

"Thanks." I say, taking the COMP and glasses from the blind man. "If I might ask… What exactly did you do, and how exactly is it going to help?"

"I modified it so that it can store Persona Cards, as well as deploy them in rapid succession. It will come in handy when it comes to Persona Change. The wire plugs into a port on your glasses, as you can see here, which also functions as an earpiece. It allows me to receive more data on your surroundings, as well as communicate with you directly, if you use the microphone built-in to the COMP as standard. It will also act as a 'stabilizer' focusing your Personas 100% more efficiently, and, more importantly, safely, than summoning without it. I have also pre-loaded it with the 'Persona Fusion Program' – a program which allows use of Fusion Spells between two compatible Personas, allowing two Persona-Users to fight as one. In your case, however, you will be able to perform Fusion Spells on your own, using two of your own Personas. If needed, your COMP will also allow you to, with Igor's aid, fuse Personas in the midst of battle. I suppose my being able to construct this without sight could be compared to Beethoven's musical mastery, despite his failing hearing."

…I see. So it's pretty awesome then. Not to mention he said that last bit with a straight face. A question occurs. "Has it been tested?"

"In this iteration, no. Takashi-kun tested the previous version, and I fixed what didn't work." He hands it to me. It's silver with an electric blue stripe running down the outside. He appears to have altered the colouring to match the style used in Takashi's. Speaking of, behind Mao-san, I can see an identical COMP to mine with a green stripe sitting on the table. I remember Takashi's lenses were green, so I decide to assume it's to be his. I slip the COMP onto my arm and flex it. Fits like a glove, just as always.

"Thank you. I'm sure it'll come in very handy." I begin to feed my Persona cards into my COMP. It beeps in recognition and shows the stats of the respective Personas as I do so. "So…Sachiko-san is to die sometime tomorrow."

"Today, technically." He corrects me like a know-it-all.

I nod bitterly. "But I'll stop this one. I myself survived my death date, after all."

"Because of your Persona." He says pointedly. "And you haven't escaped death, merely delayed it. Reply to the email if you don't believe me."

…I hadn't thought of that. Of course, if I'm still alive, then my death date will have moved. Well, that's a problem for another day. "With Takashi-san and I working together, we can do it. After all, I have several Persona on me at once."

Casey Mao sighs. "I just want you to understand that you may not be able to save her. Prepare yourself for that. You can't fight fate, after all."

"I will if I have to." I decree. "I'll follow her around tomorrow, make sure nothing happens."

Mao-san attempts to face me, coming remarkably close, but facing a few inches too low. "She'll be killed in the Mirror World. Make no mistake about that. But, if you insist, I'll call you immediately if a new entry mirror forms, alright?" He says with a hint of something that may either be pride or irritation in his voice.

.

I nod, and he directs me to a very comfortable looking bed. "Rest here for now. There is no use in fighting shadows when you're completely exhausted."

"I'd prefer to sleep in my own room, thank you." I answer back.

"If you sleep here, I can wake you at a moment's notice. If you do not, it could be too late." He rebukes. After a long pause, I nod, and, taking the advice, head over to the bed.

…

… …

My sleep was very disturbed that night. I kept hearing things…seeing things. If they were meant to be dreams, they were badly fractured and disjointed.

There is a boy I can see… He's got shoulder-length brown hair and…he's wearing a red jumpsuit.

"Apollo!" He calls, outstretching his arm. I see a man in red, fiery armour flying at me. Persona?...

"Hyperion!" A similar-looking, but slightly older man calls, sending forth a mechanical-looking priest dressed in black robes.

I hear further voices…their appearences vary, but each of them seems to have a Persona.

"Prometheus!"

"Asteria!"

"Artemis!"

"Michael!"

"Yamaoka!"

"Durga!"

Each name seems to hurt, and yet…gives me hope. Argh, I can't explain it. I seem to feel a connection to them though. We're the same, and yet…we are opposites. Are they attacking me? Or am I with them, attacking an unseen opponent.

"**Stop.**"

That voice?... Alice?

"**Stop what you're doing to him, now!"**

I'm floating on an ethereal sea. Something is standing above me. A shadowy figure. I can't make out any details. It doesn't appear to like Alice though. It seems to lunge for her, but…my vision is hazy. I can't seem to make out anything.

"I'm slipping away…

* * *

Date: Thursday 5th June

Weather: Sunny

Moon: Full

* * *

I head into school the next morning, having been woken up by Mao-san, and immediately head to Class 1-2. I'm still groggy. I don't think I slept well, but I can't really remember. A quick glance inside confirms that Kuwasaki is not in there. Damn. I look around again, trying to find Kuwasaki's friends. "Dudes." I say to the closest group of boys to the door. "Have you seen Sachiko Kuwasaki-san?" The guys don't even bother answering, just pointing at a pair of girls chatting in the corner. A-ha! Found them! I approach the two of them and clear my throat. "Lady-dudes."

"Oh… You're Sacchan's not-boyfriend, aren't you?" The curly-haired girl asks.

…If that is the label I have been given, so be it. I can clear my name later, I need this information now. "I suppose. We met briefly yesterday."

The long-haired girl smiles helpfully. "How went your investigation, yesterday?"

I'm taken aback a bit by that. "…Inconclusive." I decide is the best answer.

She nods understandingly. "Oh but don't try to get too involved." She fixes me with an odd look. "You might end up as anti-social as Katayama-senpai."

"Or like Laura-san!" The curly-haird girl laughs.

Katayama? What do these chicks have against Katayama? I shake my head. Questions for another day. "Sachiko-san. Have you seen her?" They look at each other, exchange glances, and nod. I don't like it.

"Lovers' quarrel?" The curly-haired girl suggests.

"Definitely." The long-haired girl nods. Argh. Damn them.

"We haven't seen her, but we'll be sure to let her know you want to _kiss_ and make up, okay, loverboy?" The curly-haired girl says. Ah to hell with this. I turn around and storm away.

I head back to my own class and turn immediately to Takashi. "I know Today's victim." Are the first words out of my mouth.

"Oh? I see. We'll be going in together then?" He says seriously. We might not get on, but he seems like a pretty dependable guy when it comes down to it.

I nod. "I am. I'd appreciate it if I could have your help." I have to save her. I can't help but feel responsible.

Takashi nods concernedly. "Of course. Oh, I see Mao-san gave you the new COMP. I take it he has one for me as well?" He says looking down at my left arm.

"He does. I didn't half get some stares coming up here, wearing this."

Takashi laughs slightly. "That's because it now looks like KitaTech's latest model. And it does have all of the functions of that model, as well. They probably think your rich now." Great. Just Great. If the 'Transfer Student Magic' didn't make my life difficult before, this sure as hell will.

After that, we pass through the morning, which seems to drag on and on, in silence, getting our work done as quickly as possible. Police arrived around midday, continuing the investigation into that Matsuda's death. We're called out of afternoon classes for questioning. Nothing comes of it, and we're sent back to class.

**Morning - Afternoon**

I receive a call, and despite the look I get from Sakuya-sensei, I answer it. "What?!" I bark into the phone.

"Stay calm and don't panic. Sachiko Kuwasaki has been inside of the mirror since this morning. I'd have called you sooner, but I was away on business. Don't worry, she's not in any danger yet. She won't be until she awakens. I, as the governor of the school, will sort out a reason for your absence. You and Takashi are to come here immediately." Mao Mao's voice rings out in a strained tone, before hanging up.

Alright then, let's go. I stand up and turn to Takashi. "Takashi-san, it's time." I start walking to the door. Takashi seems startled, but understands when Mao appears in the doorway.

"It's alright, Hiro-san. They're with me." He says calmly, but with an authoritative tone.

Sakuya-sensei looks like he is deciding between demanding his students back, or submitting to Mao's authority. He sighs in defeat. "…I see. Just don't keep them too long, Mao-san." He waves his hand and returns to his history lecture.

Mao shepherds us towards the lift. "As of now, you're both members of the Catoptric Explorers."

…I'm sorry? "As…cool? …as that sounds, what is it?" Takashi asked with faint irritation. For once we agree.

"A team I'm putting together. Officially, it's to investigate that site, and the hacking of several computers and servers in the area. Your true mission is to fight Shadows and save those meant to die."

"I'm on board with that" I say before Takashi even has time to process what he just said.

"Good. Because I was intending on asking you to be Field Commander" Casey Mao says as we begin to descend in the lift.

"What? I've been at this longer!" Takashi exclaims.

"No. Saidani has been awake far longer. On top of that, I've known him far longer than I have you. Now you are a valuable member of the team, and, indeed, I know your fighting style much better, but I trust in his strength and integrity to make the right decisions with a cool head." Huh? I do? Thank you, I guess? …I eventually decide to accept his offer.

"I accept, Mao-san. But…Takashi-san? I want you to do what you feel is best for now, OK?" Takashi gives me a glare, but nods curtly all the same. Mao then hands Takashi his new COMP and we both put on our glasses, and extend the wire to plug into them. Immediately, I can see date readouts of everything in the room – like a heads up display. "Fascinating…" I murmur, before remembering why we're here.

"Takashi! You ready to go?" I ask picking up my sword from the bed I was in earlier.

"Yes…_Leader._" He stresses the last word. Damn he's going to cause me a lot of trouble…

I sigh and shrug it off as I head towards the Grand Mirror in the underground lab. "Wait. Pin these to your blazers and it will excuse you from class if ever I need you. Mao-san says, throwing a pair of badges at Takashi and I. I turn to Mao-san and nod as I place my hand on the mirror, and melt through. I notice the mirror with a green bow to the right, and to the left, I see Alice watching us from another Velvet Mirror. I wonder if Takashi can see it. However the most striking thing, is another, grandiose looking mirror at one of the seal's seven points. There's the metallic sky-blue one which is referred to as '?' on the glasses. However that was always there. Now there is an identical mirror, but with a metallic yellow frame there as well. The heads up display lists it as the gateway to the 'Thousand Paradise'.

"She's in there" Mao confirms via the earpiece connector between the glasses and the COMP wire. I turn to Takashi, though he's still being sour. Great. I ignore him and speak into my COMP.

"Roger that. I'm heading in now." I answer confidently.

"If it gets too dangerous, evacuate immediately." I hear his voice through the earpiece.

I think about my answer for a while. "Unlikely." I say and ignore anything else he says. Something about me being stubborn I think. Oh well.

I steel myself and walk into the mirror, emerging on a drawbridge. A drawbridge. Which is peculiar, seeing as it appears to lead into a gigantic Shinto temple, rising almost higher than is possible to see.

"Shadow Worlds are formed from the repressed thoughts, fears and feelings of the human who generates it. This girl must be incredibly naïve." Takashi spits icily.

I turn my head towards him slightly and give him a death glare. He stares me down with one equally as icy. "Got a problem?" He goads.

"Yeah, the chip on your shoulder is my problem, _Oji-sama._"I… I surprised myself there. I didn't know I had it in me. I feel my courage increase. Namely, I feel less 'fearful' and more 'confident'.

"How dare you?!" Takashi takes a step towards me threateningly.

"Remember the mission. Settle your childish arguments later." Casey Mao reprimands us. I nod at Takashi, giving him a look I hope says 'Until later'. I turn away from him and narrow my eyes, looking around. My eyes eventually settle on one of the windows, and it is there I spot Sachiko…in a slightly slutty bastardization of a yukata and surrounded by wisps of blue fire.

"Yoo-hoo!" She coos from her vantage point. "I've been waiting for you~!"

Takashi sighs. "It's her Shadow." No, really? With the golden eyes and the blue fire, I'd never have guessed!

"I've been needing a couple new boys to play with you see. The four I have just aren't enough!" …Come again? Hold the phone, is her inner self a fetish-y nympho or something?

…Again? Damn, son. I need to get a grip. Takashi is glaring at her, like he has some sort of vendetta against her.

"Well~! If you want to be my toys, you'll have to catch me! See-you-later~~~" Sachiko's Shadow disappears into the temple.

"Let's go." Takashi says, momentarily forgetting his jealousy.

I nod. "Right."

…

… …

Inside, the temple appears to be a colossal maze, with treasure chests dotted around. Gold, jewels, paintings, foodstuffs, alcohol bottles, cosmetics, cigarettes and all sorts of weird and terrible things are all over the place in colossal mountain-esque piles. I'm sure navigating through this won't be any trouble at all. The two of us advance further in, until we're ambushed an enormous pair of robed, masked figures, fixed together by three rods forced through their sides rising out of one of the piles. "It's a pair of Trance Twins. A particular strong one as well, looking at the size. Good luck." Mao says simply.

Takashi lunges forward with his short rapier, but doesn't do much damage. I, however, prefer a different strategy. "Valkyrie!" I call, summoning my Persona to charge the Shadow. "Skewer!" The horse-riding female warrior thuds her spear into the side of one of the bodies. It shakes grotesquely and causes a tornado to appear around Takashi. All I can hear before the whoosh of the wind is his choked yell. "TAKASHI!" I scream as I charge toward the tornado. Sure, he's a dick, but he must have his reasons! He doesn't deserve to die here! I hit the wall of wind and find myself violently repelled. "Damn it!" I slam my fist on the ground as I get to my feet. "Change!" I flick my finger across the touch screen of my COMP. "Apsaras! Save Takashi-san!"

"Eliot Takashi is still alive, and it's weak to Zio." Casey Mao's voice rings in my ear. Always so damn brief aren't you?!

Apsaras slips easily through the whirling winds and they soon die down. I see the blue-skinned female descend to the ground with a semi-conscious Takashi in her arms. He's safe. That's good. I turn to look up at the Trance Twins, feeling my anger boiling. "Apsaras! Persona Change!" I flick my finger repeatedly across the touch screen of my open COMP. "Valkyrie!" I point towards the Shadow, my intent clear. Her horse rears up as a bolt of lightning strikes the Trance Twins down. I make a cutting motion with my hands, as Valkyrie uses her blades to finish the battle.

As she fades away, I fall to one knee, seeing six cards descend before my vision. I see them begin to spin. And so, lethargically, I extend my hand and take hold of a card. It's blank. Damn. I stagger over to the wall Takashi was propped up against, and slide down it. "So, how are you holding up?"

He looks at me for a long moment. "I'm in your debt now, you saved my life. I dislike being in debt." He muses as I see a flicker of turmoil and anguish in his eyes. "Why did you react so strongly?" He asks, turning to face my properly. "I heard you yell."

I think about it for a while, and the answer I find makes me crack up. I can't help it, I just find myself laughing. "What? What's so funny? Are you mocking me?"

I shake my head and hold up my hand. "No, no. Nothing like that. I just…don't know." I laugh slightly again. "I don't know. I'm usually not very good when working with others, but… I don't know, you seem different." I shake my head still sniggering slightly.

"…That sounds incredibly asinine." He starts but before he can, he finds a hand on his head. My hand.

"Your right. Your hair is pretty soft, man. Softer than any girl's hair I've felt. Not that that number is particularly great or anything. How do you get it so soft?"

He sits there, stunned for a moment. He opens his mouth, but no words come, so he quickly closes it again. "If you think that's going to make me forget about this, your wrong!" He pauses abruptly. "Not that you have to stop on my account or anything. We can continue our conversation later."

I laugh again, it seems stroking Takashi's head is a disarming mechanism. I'll have to remember that. I stretch my weary muscles and hand Takashi some Peach Seeds. "We'd best get going soon. Sachiko-san's Shadow could be killing her as we're speaking." Takashi nods as he stuffs a couple of seeds in his mouth.

"Now don't get me wrong. Regardless of what Casey-san has said, I'm still top-dog here, but you don't seem all that bad after all. Maybe working with you won't be so bad. Heh, I need a chance to repay my debt anyway." I look at Takashi and can't help but feel the inkling that a faint bond has formed between the two of us. I see a flash of white light, and see a tarot card descending from above. Time appears distorted, like I've entered Clock Up or something. I the card falls close enough to be identified, I feel a blinding headache, accompanied by a skull-splitting voice.

_Thou art I and I am Thou. Thou hast established a new bond. These bonds will be the glass used to reflect the truth. Thou shalt now be blessed when creating Persona of The Magician Arcanum._

I clench my fist around the card and the pain subsides and time returns to normal. Bond? The Magician? Isn't Loki of The Magician Arcanum? As I think, it dawns on me. "Social Link…" I mutter under my breath.

"Actually, the girl is at the top of this temple, whereas her Shadow is directly above you." The voice of our support NPC explains. What? Oh right. Finding Kuwasaki. Is her Shadow waiting for us? I turn to Takashi, who looks just as troubled.

However at that moment I begin to hear something. Something I've heard before. Something that grips me with the intense desire to run away as far as I can from this place. It's a rattling sound, like chains. And it's getting closer.

"What's that sound?" Takashi thinks aloud, approaching the door.

"Run." Casey Mao's voice rips through my thoughts. "That thing is immensely powerful. You don't even stand a fraction of a chance against it."

I hear Takashi curse in surprise and turn to see it. It looks like the Grim Reaper, if the Grim Reaper wielded a pair of revolvers with absurdly long barrels, and as opposed to a hood, its head appears to be bandaged, just allowing it's golden left eye to shine out. It fills me with panic. I can't explain it, but I feel that I should never be in that thing's presence. It looks around, glancing briefly right into my eyes. It immediately raises its arms and fires its revolvers at both Takashi and I. Takashi manages to dodge, but I'm not fast enough and find myself sent flying and landing in a heap. I lift my head to try and call for Takashi, but no sound comes out. What? I try speaking again, but no sound comes. I begin to descend into a panic What…What did that thing do to me? A fall can't make a guy mute can it? No... Of course not...

"Takashi-kun, David has been silenced – his Persona has been sealed." Our navigator explains to Takashi. Silenced? It's just a spell?! Oh thank god!

"Bufu! Bufu Damn it! Bufu!" Takashi sounds terrified. His spells however only freeze the Shadow for a fraction of a moment, before his merely cracks right through it and advances. I then feel myself violently grabbed and forced to my feet and dragged away. My adrenaline-addled brain eventually realises that Takashi used Loki as a distraction, and that he grabbed me and ran. I glance behind us. He's right there, alarmingly close. It rasps as if about to speak, before being frozen once more by Loki. "There! The stairs!" We make it to the stairs and safely make it up them. Miraculously, the shadow is no longer following us. I have no idea why, but for some reason, I feel like the it was watching me. _Me_ in particular.

"Are you alright? You wanna head back. I can handle this by myself, you know" Takashi says proudly. Oh yeah, and that Garu spell the Trance Twins cast was nothing, huh, _Bro._

"…I-I'm…fi-ne." I speak brokenly. That bastard's Silence spell has finally worn off. I clear my throat. "Let's keep going. We've got to find Sachiko-san!" I can't let her wind up like Matsuda because of me. Takashi shrugs, before nodding at my decision.

However, as soon as we begin walking through the second floor, I hear Kuwasaki's voice reverberate through the walls.

"_Men are so useless. They can't do anything if an attractive, well-endowed woman walks by. And they never look her in the eyes. It's so pathetic_."

So…she's a closet feminist? Huh. Being a cute-and-bouncy girl with that amount of mass in the chest department probably doesn't help. Perhaps she's more lonely then I thought. I exhale slowly and nod to Takashi silently.

"So. She's got self-appearance issues. That'll make her Shadow shallow and, hopefully, easier to defeat." Takashi says icily. I wouldn't call self-image problems shallow though, Takashi.

This temple… From what I understand, this represents Sachiko Kuwasaki's mental landscape, or perhaps… It only represents the repressed part of her mind. A physical manifestations of all the fears, concerns, problems, and other emotions she's been bottling up. This whole thing seems very Jungian, I must say. I've studied the works of Jung in my own time, they've always fascinated me. According to him, he was guided by a figure he called 'Philemon'. Didn't Casey Mao ask if Philemon had tried to contact me yesterday? Was Jung a Persona-user, or something? Regardless, what could all this mean? What could it represent? That poor girl…What is it she's been repressing that would form this place? And her Shadow…That nympho shrine maiden. What's that all about? I suppose… Perhaps she really is keeping up the pretext of a popular class rep onee-san-type. She's probably sick of it, hence her shadow taking it up-to-eleven. But…what about all this random crap everywhere, eh? Does she pretend to be a neat freak when really she's a hoarder or something?

My reverie is broken when we come across a locked door. Huh. I must have zoned out, even during battle. We're both still alive though, so we must've won any we got into. We don't have a key… I then think if a potential way around that. "Persona!" I call upon the might of Saidani to break open the door, and, miraculously, it works. We are then greeted by the smiling face of Sachiko, twirling around, still in a loose-yet-tight, half-open yukata. Now I'm at a closer range, the fact that she has the same blue wisps and golden eyes that that boy's Shadow had as well is much more obvious.

"Hello there, gentlemen!" She waves over-enthusiastically. True self? She sure is acting just like Sachiko. "So~ Here to join my harem are we? Excellent! Because enough is never enough, you know" She wags her finger.

Takashi stands there, transfixed for a moment. He looks almost…_afraid_? "No. We're here to save the girl you spawned from, _Shadow_." Venom drips from his words. Jeeze is this an emotional 180 from how he was in class.

"Hm? Why would you want to save a mere mask I don't even care to wear anymore? Surely you both like _me_ much better, right?" She traces the curves of body with her hands. "Besides, I'm me, and I don't care what _anyone_ else thinks anymore!"

"No, your merely a hollow manifestation of what the real girl _doesn't _want to be. You should accept it. That's _your_ true self." Takashi deflates coolly. Damn that was a badass thing to say.

She doesn't seem to like that. She dashes over, slaps Takashi. His eye twitches. She then turns to me, winks and gives me a cute smile and then runs away. "Catch me if you can~!"

Takashi is stunned, but I can feel barely controlled rage threatening to bubble over coming from within him. He's shaking slightly. "Let's go killabitch." He says simply. I thought _I_ was the leader? Ugh, whatever. The two of us dash after her.

…

Great. Another maze. I sigh and facepalm, which quickly turns into pinching the bridge of my nose. "Alright, what're we gonna do now?"

"Good question" Takashi sighs, running his fingers through his hair.

"I suppose we just try and find the stairs" I suggest as we start moving. "We don't want to risk that gun toting Shadow finding us again, after all." Takashi agrees and we begin searching for the stairs.

So. Kuwasaki's Shadow mentioned that she 'no longer cares about what others think'…I guess she does seem like the sort to bottle things up and bury her true feelings to keep up appearances. She also has issues with people staring at her chest instead of treating her as a person. She isn't even excessively large, just slightly more so than most of the others, and bouncy enough to catch one's eye. Isn't that a bit hypocritical? There is something missing here… And then, she latched onto me so quickly. Why? What was so special about me? I don't want to seem too big-headed, but I can't rule out the possibility that she thinks she loves me, or has begun to harbour some form of feelings for me. I also can't rule out the possibility that she was using me for something. I wish I'd thought to ask her friends more about her. It could really have come in handy. I have no idea what she could be repressing to result in this place, as well as…whatever the hell her Shadow thinks she is. After all, she seemed pretty apathetic until Takashi provoked her, at which point she seemed pleased that I was seemingly going along with it. It would be interesting to see her response to me rejecting her. After all, the real Kuwasaki didn't react too well to it. Though remembering Matsuda's Shadow's response to rejection, that might not be the best idea in the world. I have to admit though. God does she look...damn fine dressed like that. Acting the way she does only manages to up her allure as well. …Sorry to bore you with yet more psychoanalyses. I notice we appear to have ascended to the third floor already. Curious. I appear to zone out a lot here. It feels…comforting. I feel at ease when within the Mirror. I really do think I've been here before. Recurrently, I'd say. I try to remember but… argh. Blue eyes… I distinctly remember someone with blue eyes by my side. Something of an asshole. Mao did say that Saidani had been awake for quite some time. _Saidani_… What secrets do you hold?

My train of is halted when we reach the stairs. Takashi and I nod at each other. Ascending to the next floor, we once again hear Kuwasaki's voice.

"_Girls aren't much better. They're either jealous or teasing. Sure, physical appearance is important. You can love someone, but if you can't stand to touch them, you can't have a real family. But what's the problem with respecting everyone's differences huh?!_"

Before I have a chance to think, Takashi speaks up. "So, you know this girl, right? Any idea what this is all about? What's responsible for this place and the Shadow?"

I shake my head. "No, I was just thinking about it myself. I've only been here about three days. Given more time I could probably have figured something out." Takashi turns his head away. I get the feeling that he doesn't like it here nearly as much as I do.

"So, how are you going to cope when we find her? We might have to attack her." Takashi says simply. "Are you sure you'll be okay with that?"

I turn away and reply "We'll see." That thought really hadn't occurred to me. What if Kuwasaki rejects her Shadow? Will we have to fight it, like Matsuda's? Will we be able to beat it? I honestly don't know the answer. I pray we don't have to find out. She hates guys for ogling and girls for being jealous or bullying her? Is she acting the onee-san type to hide the scars of bullying? I can certainly relate to that.

Other than that, the third floor is rather uneventful, we run across a handful of Shadows, but nothing too difficult. And once again, on the fourth floor, Kuwasaki's voice can be heard once more.

"_But they are the worst. Extorting the grieving husband of a dying wife into debt to cover outrageous hospital bills. They take whatever they can to cover a debt when it can't be paid in full. Heirlooms, land, people…_"

I glance at Takashi, we both know what she is referring to. "Yakuza bastards." He spits.

The two of us continue onward once more, coming up against more Shadows along the way. I'm getting to know the different kinds now.

"Hey, Mao-san. Any idea how many floors there are?" I decide to ask our chief on a whim.

"Nothing concrete, no. If I had to make an educated guess, I would say about seven. Perhaps nine." He responds after a moment of silence.

"Let's hope it's seven. Then we'd be nearly done." Takashi says simply.

We quickly ascend to the next floor and are greeted by Kuwasaki's voice once again.

"_I can see you. You're different aren't you. You're like me somehow. Alone, fractured, damaged. Follow me… hee hee hee_."

Is she talking about me, or Takashi? Both? Someone else? Takashi's looking at me. His brow is furrowed and his eyes are narrowed. I do not like that look. Not one bit. He sighs, turns away.

We keep walking, fighting through Shadows and eventually happen across another locked door. Just as I'm about to call for Saidani, Casey Mao speaks up once again.

"It won't be enough to simply use a pierce or slash skill. You're going to need to find the actual key this time. Good luck, gentlemen."

"_Prove it to me. Prove you're different and open the door_."

The Shadow's voice speaks once more in a breathy tone. Takashi seems bemused.

"Great. How are we supposed to get past this, now?" He sighs, face-palming.

"Simple. Find the key." I say with a slight cocky smile.

We search through what parts of the floor we can get to. Fumbling through treasure chests gets us nowhere. I begin to panic. Kuwasaki could be beyond that door! But… Wouldn't Mao have told me? He would right? But he did say that I'd have to keep a cool head. He could think I'll fly off the handle. I probably would. In fact, I think I will now. "Takashi, let's go." I dash back towards the door.

"Huh? What?" I hear him question.

_**Burning Up!**_

"Saidani, Break that door down!" I call as my other self appears from the blue mist and strikes the door, being set on fire in the process.

I scream. I fall onto my face. Every cell in my body is crying out in anguish. My mind is trying to unscramble itself. It's not working. And to make it worse, a certain someone manages to gloat through vocal tone alone.

"I told you, you need the key. Using other means won't work."

He sounds so smug. I claw myself back up and force myself to swallow several peach seeds. I turn to face Takashi, whose face is a mix of worry, amusement and irritation, but mostly the latter.

"And he's leader why?" I hear him ask. You bastard, I thought we were bros!

Kidding aside, his personality keeps going around and around in massive mood swings. I wonder what his problem is. Well, regardless, finding the key is our problem for now. I don't get much further on that train of thought though. I once again hear the sound of rattling chains. We've been on this floor for too long. He's found us. Not only that, but we're trapped. We can't get passed the door. We're trapped, and he's coming for us. The sound is getting closer. Out of the corner of my eye, I can see blue light.

"Persona!"

Loki goes flying past me to engage the Shadow in battle. I can see a flash of light and Takashi crumples to the ground, near-death.

"Listen, that Shadow has the 'Key of Gula', the key you need. You need to steal it and unlock the door. But you need to do it without getting hit, it hit Takashi-kun with Zionga, and by these readings, he should have access to Mazionga, and even Maziodyne. You must try not to get hit. Good luck." Mao-san explains. Zio…nga? Ma-zionga? Mazio…_dyne_? What the hell? I extend my hand.

"Pe-Perso…Persona!" But Saidani will not come. This can't be… Why? Why damn it?!

He comes into view. The yellow-eyed, gun-toting grim reaper. Looking right at me, rasping and pointing his barrels at me. Help me. Oh god, help me.

"Pixie!" Nothing happens. No…no!

"Saki-Mitama!" Still nothing. Why not! Why not damn it!

"Sylph! Valkyrie! Apsaras!" No one is coming to my aid. I fall to my knees, petrified. That Shadow has a peculiar effect on me. Takashi doesn't panic half as badly as I do. "Orobas…" I call half-heartedly. This is it. I'm sorry, Kuwasaki. I failed. I close my eyes.

…

I hear something. A faint…very faint voice. "Don't give in, newbie." It sounds like Takashi. I'm not alone? My eyes snap open.

"Saidani!" I call, sending the robot-skeleton-samurai at the Shadow. "Takashi-san! Get the key! I know you're there!" I see a flash of beige hair stagger past me,. Throwing himself at the Shadow grappling with the Persona.

"Here goes nothing!"

* * *

**Chapter's End Corner~**

**Courage:** Fearful Confident

**Knowledge: **Average

**Dilligence:** Slacker

**Understanding: **Bad

**Expression: **Rough

**Charm: **Clueless

**Social Links:**

_Eliot Takashi – The Magician: Rank I_


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